Friday, January 18, 2013

3 Fonteinen's new brewery sign....



Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen is almost ready to brew again,
probably sometime this month.

Look for a full report on the new brewery and 3

Fonteinen's future, soon. Meanwhile, check out
the photo sent to me by Armand's wife, Lydie
Hulpiau, yesterday. Lydie is 3 Fonteinen's
Marketing and Sales Director.

It could be brewery co-manager/assistent

brewer Michael Blancquaert, putting the finishes 
touches on a new brewery sign that should be 
visible from far away. 

I look forward to seeing it in person. 



Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Trappist Abbaye du Mont des Cats cheese makery tour



I know it's not about Belgium, and not directly about beer...
but here's a link to a little slideshow I put together from photos of
my tour at the Trappist Abbaye du Mont des Cats Fromagerie
in northern France. French Flanders, to be exact.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/belgianbeerspecialist/sets/72157632476736028/show/

The Mont des Cats Abbey was, after all, the mother abbey of
Sint-Sixtus, which brews the Westvleteren beers, and
Koningshoeven in the Netherlands, which brews the
La Trappe beers.

One of their four cheeses is made with their beer, which is
brewed at Chimay.

They also have a shop and a tavern/cafe/brasserie on site
where you can purchase both their cheeses and beer. It's
well worth the visit if you love cheese and beer, which yours
truly surely does. The shop's website is here

Danny Van Tricht and I visited on a cold December day. A
day when both the main roads were closed due to construction,
and the last remaining road coming from the Poperinge area,
just 15-20 minutes away, was a winding, narrow country lane at
best. With snow or ice on the ground, it would be nearly impassable.

Brother Bernard-Marie greeted us in the Abbey, where we talked
about cheese and beer. He told us that the Abbey was founded in
1826, and cheese making began in 1849. There was also a
brewery as well from 1848 until the First World War, when the
German army took away the copper kettles.

We then headed to the Fromagerie, where we donned white
lab coats, hair nets and special rubber shoe covers. Tours are
rarely given at this cheese-makery. In fact, I'd say the
workers were shocked to see visitors, especially those toting
cameras.

The tour was quite fascinating, and seeing cheese ripening
is becoming a welcome site for me. The milk is provided by
local farms, and most of the Mont des Cats cheese is sold in the
local region, while a small portion makes it to Paris and also
to Belgium.

The four cheeses are: Dessert des Trappistes, Le Flamay de
l'Abbaye du Mont des Cats, Grands Mont des Cats, and
Mont des Cats à la Bière Trappiste.

For more info about the abbey and their products, see here

Thursday, January 3, 2013

"New Breweries Fermenting in Old Belgium" in Celebrator Beer News


I have a 1,300 word article in the December 2012/
January 2013 issue of Celebrator Beer News, titled
"New Breweries Fermenting in Old Belgium."

Brewer Anne-Cathérine Dilewyns with a 
Dilewyns Winter beer

I cover Brasserie de Bastogne of Luxembourg province;
Brouwerij Dilewyns and brewer Anne-Cathérine Dilewyns
of East Flanders; Huisbrouwerij Danny of Erpe-Mere,
East Flanders; Brouwerij Den Triest of Flemish Brabant;
Brouwerij Anders and Brouwerij & Alcoholstokerij
Wilderen of Limburg Province; as well as Brasserie de
Bierkaai in Limburg.

Brewer/Owner Danny Hoffelinck, 
Huisbrouwerij Danny

Marc Struyf, brewer/owner of Brouwerij
Den Triest, in his atmospheric tasting cafe

Luc Van Esch, owner of Brasserie de Bierkaai
in Viverselle, Limburg Province, at ZBF
2012

Bart Durlet, Brouwerij Anders

The article is now on-line where anyone can read it
for free here

I hope everyone enjoys it!!

Cheers,
Chuck