De Lambiek/Oud Beersel/3 Fonteinen article

I have a 1,200 word article on three places that are stars

in the lambic beer world in the April/May 2012 issue of

Celebrator Beer News.

You can read it here

and it finishes here

Since the article was written, there is news from

3 Fonteinen, posted right on their website here

Some is sad, but the end result will be good, as there

will be more 3 Fonteinen lambic and geuze for beer

lovers to enjoy.

The LambikODroom, or "Lambik Dream" cafe, will close

for good on Sunday, April 1. The reason is that 3 Fonteinen

needs space for the new brewery, and also for a shop to

sell products to the public. So the shop will move into

where the LambikODroom is now, and the present shop

area will be used by the expanded brewery.

I first visited De LambikODroom in May, 2008, and it

officially opened soon after. It is a shame to see it go,

after nearly four-year run.

But the prospect of much more "brewed-on site" 3 Fonteinen

lambics is a good one.

You can read more about it in my article.

For more info on Tourism in Flanders, see here

The Great Belgian Beer Dinner 2012

I mentioned there would be a very special beer dinner in

Belgium the week before the Zythos Bier Festival (ZBF)

on these pages a couple of months ago, here

Well, the details are now available, right from one of the

organizers, Yves Panneels of the fabulous In de Verzerkering

Tegen de Grote Dorst cafe in Lennik/Eizeringen.

I've helped a bit with the translation to English.

The event website is here

A fantastic menu prepared by three chefs

“The Great Belgian Beer Dinner of 2012” will be an exquisite culinary experience founded on a commitment to quality. It will be a major event in a prime location, with excellent beers, top class food, and the three best chefs in the world of beer.

Tom De Four of De Heeren van Liedekercke (Denderleeuw) with Stefanie de Vos of De Bistronoom (Ostend) and Chris Lively of Ebenezer's Pub & Restaurant (Lovell, Maine USA) will join together to serve a fantastic six-course meal on Wednesday, April 25, 2012. The location will be in the historical setting of 'De Majeur' in Roosdaal-Pamel, near Ninove.

The chefs have also selected very special beers specifically for this meal.

Information: Date is Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 7 pm at Feestzalen 'De Majeur' at Rijstraat 16, 1760 Roosdaal (Pamel.)
The six-course meal costs 80 euro per person, drinks included. Seating is limited. Quick Registration will be the key to securing a seat.

The Chefs

Tom DE FOUR
 of the restaurant De Heeren van Liedekercke is one of the trio. His restaurant is situated just a stone's throw from the church of Liedekerke, just across the municipal boundary of the Dender. De Heeren van Liedekercke is a true fixture in The Beer Country, Belgium. For over 10 years, it has been rated very highly in many international beer guides. In the kitchen, Tom, 39, handles the cooking. His brother Joost is the beer sommelier. Besides their love for lambic beers, De Heeren van Liedekercke has been named an Orval Ambassador. See: 

www.heerenvanliedekercke.be




STEFANIE De VOS,
 of De Bistronoom, which, since September 2011, has been at the top of the RateBeer list of the best beer restaurants in the world, is the lady in the group. Stefanie, 28, works her magic in the kitchen, while her husband, beer sommelier Christophe Pelfrène (44) greets and serves the guests. Stefanie, along with 47 other young chefs, was recently selected as one of the “Young Faces of Flemish Gastronomy” through the organization “Flanders: Nice Country.” She was also nominated for the title “Lady Chef of the Year 2012.” The restaurant is located near the Ostend marina, near where the Mercator anchor is found. See:
 www.debistronoom.be



CHRIS LIVELY

: Christopher Lively, 39, grew up in Texas, and after graduating from culinary school, went to work in California. He was the executive chef of the Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles, an important position. But Chris wanted his own beer restaurant, and he would have it. He moved to the other side of the United States, and settled in New England. Since 2004, he and his wife, Jennifer, have run Ebenezer Kezar's Pub & Restaurant in Lovell, Maine. From then till now, on Ratebeer.com, Ebenezer’s was voted four consecutive years the title of the “World's Best Beer Bar.” In 2009, Chris opened The Lion's Pride in Brunswick, Maine. Barely a year later, his second beer restaurant won second place on RateBeer. A very remarkable achievement. See:

 www.ebenezerspub.net
 and www.lionspridepub.com


Menu





The three chefs will prepare a fabulous 6-course dinner with exquisite beers. Soon, it will be disclosed in detail.









Location



Feestzalen 'De Majeur' is located west of Brussels in the Payottenland, a stone's throw off the N8 from Brussels to Ninove road, in Roosdaal (Pamel). This restored brewery is surrounded by a beautiful garden. Inside, there are three beautiful banquet rooms with a capacity of 10 to 90 people.


'De Majeur', is run by Evy Vandenberghe. She graduated as a cook from the Hotel Ter Dunes in Koksijde. She gained experience in restaurants such as Juana in Nice, France, The Grand-Bigard in Bigard, the Pastoral Reet, 't Molentje in Zeebrugge, Tom Thumb in Aalter, 't Krekelhof in Gooik, and The Elephant in Halle. Together with her partner and building contractor, David Ore Note, they bought and renovated the dilapidated building at Rijstraat 16, Roosdaal-Pamel. This building was once a brewery, belonging to Frans Tondeurs (born 1838.) He was the mayor of Pamel from 1879 to 1907. “De Majeur” has all the amenities of home. Evy sets the background, with all the trimmings available, for The Great Belgian Beer Dinner 2012. The rooms are stylishly decorated. The beautiful romantic candlelit baths will set tables while guests are pampered with the finest cuisine.

Address: Rijstraat 16, 1760 Roosdaal, tel 0474 92 56 56 See:
 www.demajeur.be

The number of spaces for The Great Belgian Beer Dinner 2012 is limited. Quick Registration is the key. The price for the 6-course menu (including custom drinks) is 80 euro per person.

Upon reservation, 80 EUR per person is payable. The payment of this sum constitutes final reservation. Cancellations can only be made in writing (letter, fax or mail). Up until three weeks before the event, the entire sum paid will be refunded, minus 10 € administrative costs. Until two weeks before the event, half the sum paid will be refunded, minus 10 € administrative costs. Thereafter, no refunds will be given.

By transfer to current account of Flanders vzw Enjoyed: 860-1163576-43 (Centea Bank)
IBAN BE66 8601 1635 7643 • BIC SPAABE22
Montignystraat

For more info about Tourism in Flanders, see here

Are there any Belgian beer-loving iphone/ipad/android app developers out there?

If you are an experienced app developer for iPhone, iPad,

Android etc. and are also a fan of Belgian beer, I'd like to

hear from you. I have an idea....

You can email me at higrav1 AT gmail.com

Cheers,

Chuck

March Madness: Saison Dupont and HopRuiter in round 1

Two excellent Belgian beers-Saison Dupont from Brasserie Dupont

and HopRuiter from De Scheldebrouwerij-are in Round 1

of March Madness.

No, it's not NCAA basketball, but Draft Magazine's

Beer Bracket 2012 contest.

You can vote for your favorite, among the 64 beers,

here

Not that I'm taking sides or anything, but I think I just

might pick a certain Saison from the village of Tourpes,

Belgique, as my favorite to take it all.

HopRuiter will be in the mix as well!

Brouwerij Den Toetëlèr, Hoeselt, Belgie

(Photo, above: Brouwerij Den Toetëlèr.)

Last September, I visited a number of interesting new breweries in Belgium. While some were small and some and were big, all were run by enthusiastic people who enjoy tasty, artisanal beers.

On my first day, September 24, my friend Danny van Tricht was “Bob.” He picked me up at Brussels airport, with our friends Andre Van Gansen and Wim Wouters, and we toured three new breweries in Limburg Province. There's nothing like stepping off a plane and getting right to Belgian Beer Research!

The smallest brewery that Saturday was Brouwerij Den Toetëlèr, in Hoeselt, not far the Dutch city of Maastricht.

(Photo, above: Erwin Duts.)

The brewery is located in a former small automotive shop, at the home of Luc Festjens. Luc began homebrewing about ten years ago, when he joined the Bier Gilde in Kortessem, a beer appreciation club. When he closed the mechanic shop, he and Brother-in-law Erwin Duts, joined by Stefaan Huybrehts and Kurt Meers, decided to brew a few beers together.

(Photo, above: Luc Festjens pouring a kriek.)

They wanted to do something interesting, and local to their region. So, they brewed a white beer (witbier) and added flowers from an Elderberry tree to it. Those first few batches were consumed (and enjoyed!) by friends and relatives. Elderberry trees are common in that part of Limburg Province, hence the local ingredient.

That first beer was so much appreciated, in fact, that many of their friends said they would buy it. So, the four decided to go professional, and obtained a brewery license in March, 2010. However, they did not sell any beer until Spring, 2011. They sold 120 hectoliters of beer last year, all told.

(Photo, above: the brewhouse.)

The brewing equipment comes from a former dairy, modified to brew beer instead of produce milk. The mash tun has a capacity of 800 liters, and the fermentation tank, 2200 liters. Lagering (cold-conditioning) takes place in a 1600-liter tank.

(Photo, above: fermentation and lagering tanks.)

(Photo, above: the mash tun and boiling kettle.)

As the four partners have day jobs, they usually brew on weekends. They always brew two days in a row, typically Saturdays and Sundays.

(Photo, above: the Toetëlèr Witbier.)

For the flagship beer, Toetëlèr, the brewing process is as follows: after boiling, the hot wort is cooled to 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) and is pumped into the fermenter for seven days of primary fermentation. It is then pumped into one of the lagering tanks for seven days at 10 degrees Celsius (about 50 F.)

The Elderberry flowers are added at the end of the boil.

The beer is then bottled or kegged, with refermentation, and undergoes two weeks in a warm room. After this it is put into a cellar for a further two weeks before being sold. “So it is a six week process, overall, for our white beer,” Erwin commented.

(Photo, above: the brewery is powered by 65 solar panels.)

I found the Toetëlèr Witbier to be very refreshing, with a definite light spicy character. It really hit the spot on an 80 degree summer day!

(Photo, above: the kriek.)

Erwin and Luc also opened an experimental kriek beer, brewed with local cherries, that was very tasty and interesting.

Toetëlèr is the local dialect for an Elderberry tree. Why, you ask? The branches of the tree have a sort of foam that can be removed, and when done so, the branch is hollow. It can then be made into a whistle. In the region, a “toet” is a whistle. Hence, the name of the brewery. “It’s because ‘vlierbloesembier’” was too long a name,” Erwin told me. That name would mean “Elder Flower Beer.”

For more info about Tourism in Flanders, see Flanders Tourism

Max's Belgian Beer Fest is this weekend!

(Image, above: the label for Stillwater Artisanal Ales

second anniversary beer,"As Follows.")

See the bottle below!


(Photo, above: Brian "Stillwater" Strumke with a nine

liter bottle of his 2nd anniversary beer, "As Follows."

It will be opened at 11 am tomorrow at Max's.

Better get there early!)

One of America's Premier Belgian beer events begins

tomorrow, and it's right here in my hometown of

Baltimore, Maryland.

The 8th Annual edition of Max's Belgian Beer Festival

will feature over 200 Belgian beers on draft and over

275 in bottles over the course of the weekend, running

through Sunday.

Max's 100 taps will rotate. As one keg kicks, Casey Hard

and crew replace with another.

As last year, I will have a slideshow running on Max's

big-screen TV (downstairs) showing images from about

70 Belgian breweries represented at the fest.

It will be about 1,100 slides total and run time will be

about 90 minutes from start to finish. It will run on a

loop all weekend beginning tomorrow around noon.

The rare ones I am looking forward to include Tilquin

Gueuze and many others.

See: Maxs for the draft list.

I hope to see you all at Max's this weekend!

De Lambiek, Belgium’s Lambic beer visitor center

Belgium has a brand-new visitor’s center, and it’s a good one.

Really good!

De Lambiek (“The Lambic”) opened on May 14, 2011 in the

village ofAlsemberg, near the town of Beersel. This 1.7 million

euro (about 2.25 million U.S. dollar) project was created on the

initiative of several organizations.

The Municipality of Beersel, with the cooperation of Tourism

Flanders and the Tourist Office of The Province of Flemish

Brabant, as well as HORAL (The High Council for Artisanal

Lambic Beers) collaborated on the venture.

Flemish Brabant is, of course, the locale of the Payottenland:

the home of lambic, geuze and kriek beers. De Lambiek’s

location makes perfect sense, as the Municipality of Beersel

consists of the towns of Alsemberg, Beersel, Dworp,

Huizingen and Lot.

With three of the eight members of HORAL within a few

kilometers, it is an idea location. Brussels is just 12 km away.

Without doubt, this classy new center is the Payottenland’s

equivalent of the Maison du Vin in Bordeaux. The three

members near De Lambiek are 3 Fonteinen and Oud Beersel

in the town of Beersel, and Hanssens of Dworp.

The other seven members are Boon, De Cam, Girardin,

Lindemans, Mort Subite, Timmermans and De Troch.

“This is no museum. It’s a living history center,” my

guide, Peter Aelaerts, head of De Lambiek, told me during

the tour. “It’s a place to see and learn, where all your senses

are stimulated,” he continued.

A 100+ seat movie theater provides enough room for even

very large groups to view a 15-minute video about lambic

and geuze production, filmed at HORAL’s member breweries.

The video is offered in four languages and is highly informative.

There is a short history of beer from around 500 A.D. to the

present on one of the walls, focusing on lambic. Each

HORAL lambic blender and brewery has its own dedicated

display case to showcase its products.

Other highlights include a pair of hollowed out foeders:

large wooden barrels, where you can listen to the sounds

of the Oude Geuze brewing process and match which part

of the process you think is happening in the audio.

Another interactive display stimulates the olfactory senses:

want to smell cherries, hops, wheat, and barley? You can, here.

You can also touch these beer ingredients. Perhaps even better,

though, is that you can taste the final product just meters away.

De Lambiek’s tasting room faces the outside in this modern,

bright, airy building, with seating for around 100 inside and

dozens more outside on the patio in nice weather.

The beer selection is excellent, with 26 different bottled brews

on offer. Prices are “very democratic” as they like to say in

Belgium (meaning, very reasonable!) Oude Geuze and

Oude Kriek are stocked in 375 ml (12.7 ounce) bottles,

making them easy to share, using the special De Lambiek

tasting glasses.

All the Oude Geuze costs 3 euro a bottle, while most of the

Oude Kriek is as well, save a couple. The only 75 cl bottle

on the list during my September 30, 2011 visit was HORAL’s

Oude Geuze Megablend, at a reasonable 12 euro.

There is always a draft “Beer of the Month” on, and

Oud Beersel’s one year old lambic was it during my

visit. This beer is also offered in bag-in-box, at just

17.25 euro for 5 liters.

De Lambiek is open from 11am-6pm on Wednesdays,

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Group visits are also

available by appointment on Mondays, Tuesdays and

Thursdays. Cost is 2 euro per person, or 1 euro each

for groups of 15 or more. See: beersel.be.