The Wild, The Tamed & The Mother Yeast
THURSDAY MAY 16, 2024
brouwerij drie fonteinen
Once revered as Belgium’s leading lambic blender, and equally famous for its traditional village café, Drie Fonteinen has in more recent times established itself as one of the world’s most vital spontaneous fermentation breweries. Major expansion and the creation of the massive modern facility Lambik-O-Droom means that the small brewery now produces substantial batches of its own house-brewed multi-year-blended lambics. Housing Drie Fonteinen’s impressive rows of barrels, the Lambik-O-Droom has itself become a Mecca for craft-beer world travelers.
Kasteel van Beersel
Considered one of Belgium’s best-preserved castles, Beersel’s landmark moated fortification was originally constructed in the 14th century, but benefited greatly from a major restoration in the 20th. It has been referenced several times in popular culture — as the subject of a Victor Hugo poem in 1877, the featured edifice of a famous Belgian comic book in the 1950’s, and more recently as the basis for the unique Burgundian castle architecture in the video game Age of Empires.
BRASSERIE DE LA SENNE
Brasserie de la Senne founder and brewer Yvan de Baets is arguably the premiere authority on Belgian brewing science and history. In contrast to the strong and malty styles many Americans associate with Belgium, his flagship beers are inspired by the classic hoppy blond ales that had essentially vanished there by the early 90s. Yvan started out as a revivalist gypsy brewer, but built his own new Brussels brewhouse in 2011, expanding further nine years later with a larger-capacity facility that is a model for quality control and environmental sustainability.
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