Tag: spontaneous fermentation

The 20th Tour de Geuze lasts 2 days!

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We’re counting down to Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 May 2017 … Than we celbrate the 20th birthday of the Toer de Geuze, that will last 2 days for the first time.

Toer de Geuze 2017

The following breweries and blenders will open their doors to the public on Saturday 6 May, from 11h to 19h: Boon, De Cam, De Troch, 3 Fonteinen, Lindemans, Oud Beersel, Tilquin and also the visitor’s center De Lambiek. Hanssens Artisanaal, Timmermans and Mort Subite are NOT open on Saturday.

These are open on Sunday 7 May, from 10h to 17h: Boon, De Cam, De Troch, 3 Fonteinen, Hanssens Artisanaal, Lindemans, Mort Subite, Oud Beersel, Tilquin, Timmermans and also the visitor’s center De Lambiek.

During the Toer de Geuze you don’t have to pay to visit the participating breweries, blenders and the visitor’s center De Lambiek. ENTRY IS FREE. You also don’t have to make a reservation to visit a brewery or blender.

You can do this Toer with your own transport (auto, bicycle …), or you can reserve a spot on one of the HORAL-busses, which traditionally are guided by The Lambikstoempers.  On www.horal.be you can find out the stops the busses take.

Where can you go?

Boon

Discover the brewery, taste the beers, also from the Boon-reserve (tasters bar), enjoy the food and the music … From Halle you can even take a boat on the Brussels-Charleroi canal for 1 euro per trip!

  • Address: Fonteinstraat 65 at 1502 Lembeek
  • More info

De Cam

Get inspired by lambic blender Karel Goddeau in the Pearl of the Pajottenland. Taste his lambic beers, enjoy his passionate explanation … and a sandwich with “pottekeis” (= a regional cheese mix). You can enjoy a more extensive meal in the “Volkscafé De Cam” at the same address.

  • Address: Dorpsstraat 67 at 1755 Gooik
  • More info

De Troch

Visit the traditional and still authentic brewery, enjoy a nice glass and the fantastic company in the inner courtyard. Santé!

  • Address: Langestraat 20 at 1741 Wambeek
  • More info

3 Fonteinen

Walk through the 3 Fonteinen’s Lambik-O-droom, at the new location between the old fusts, taste the lambic and geuzes, get surprized by a lambic cocktail of Baroness, taste “mandjeskaas” (basket cheese), “pottekeis”, geuze cheese, geuzepâte and icecream with sauce of cherry-lambic etc. The Pajots folklore music will surely be there, on Sonday there will also be demonstrations of bottle basket braiding by Gerda Legrand.

  • Address: Molenstraat 47 at 1651 Lot
  • More info

Hanssens Artisanaal

Attention: visits only on Sunday 7 May! Unique, authentic, cozy, tasty … Blender Hanssens Artisanaal absolutely mertis a visit and a great stop during the Toer de Geuze.

  • Address: Vroenenbosstraat 15/1 at 1653 Dworp
  • More info

Lindemans

The little kids will enjoy the bouncing castles, while the older one can enjoy the complex lambic beers! Get to know everything about the brewing process, admire the polished copper kettles, visit the impressive bottling plant …

  • Address: Lenniksebaan 1479 tae1602 Vlezenbeek
  • More info

Mort Subite

Attention: visits only on Sunday 7 May! Walk between the kettles, see how lambic is made, smell the fusts and … taste.

Oud Beersel

Go international and taste the mixed beers of New Belgium (VSA), Birrificio del Ducato (IT), Lervig Aktiebryggeri (NO), Lindheim Olkompani (NO) and Brewery De Leite (BE) who worked with Oud Beersel (cherry-)lambic!
Visit amongst others the new fusts hall and enjoy the labish delicacies, like barbecued pig marinated with lambic beer and sandwiches with quality meat of “Hoeve Cuvry”. On Sunday from 9h30 you can have a bacon and eggs breakfast. You can park at the “Kriekerij” of Schaarbeeks’ Cherries behind the brewery, accessible via the Rollebeekstraat.

  • Address: Laarheidestraat 230 at 1650 Beersel
  • More info

Tilquin

Come and taste Oude Geuze and Geuze on draft, Oude Quetsche, Oude Mûre, Stout Rullquin and so on. Anyway you wil receive a free lambic taster! Hungry? Taste the barbecues pig from the butchery Fisette, a true artisan burger of Chez Roger, a cheese plate of Ferme Le Bailli, a sandwich with white cheese or Chiumay mode eel. The young ones can jump in the bouncing castle.

  • Address: Chaussée Maïeur Habils 110 at 1430 Bierk (Rebecq)
  • More info

Timmermans

Attention: visits only on Sunday 7 May! This brewery breathes authenticity and tradition. Come and breathe, see, taste … and enjoy the local ambiance!

  • Address: Kerkstraat 11 at 1701 Itterbeek
  • More info

Visitors’ center De Lambiek

In the exposition hall you can find out how lambic is made and which ingredients are used during the brewing process. The history of the lambic beer is extensively explained too. In short: a very educational place, where you also can taste all Oude Geuzes and Oude Krieks!

  • Address: Gemeenveldstraat 1 at 1652 Alsemberg (Beersel)
  • More info

Camping

During the Toer de Geuze the Visitors’ Center De Lambiek opens a pop-up camping! For the first time you can install your tent on the football field sityated at the Gemeenveldstraat 1 in 1652 Alsemberg.

You can put up a tent after the purchase of a camping ticket from Friday 18h to 20h and on Saturday from 10h to 18h. The camping closes on Sunday at 14h. A camping ticket (for a camping zone ofn 4×4 meter) costs 25 euro of which a deposit of 15 euro. You wish to be certain of a spot? Contact the responsible at toerisme@beersel.be or via 02/359.16.36. More info and the camping regulations you can find at www.delambiek.be.

This temporary camping is an initiative of the Visitors’ Center ‘De Lambiek’ and the Municipal Beersel. They also provide places for mobilhomes. During the Toer de Geuze these can use the car park at the football field Sollembeemd at 1654 Huizingen.

camping

History

The Toer de Geuze was first organized on 19 October 1997. At that time Boon, De Cam, De Troch, 3 Fonteinen, Lindemans and Timmermans opened their doors to the public. Since then this open brewery day of the Pajottenland and the Valley of the Senne is  organized evrey 2 year by vzw HORAL (Highe Council of Artisanal Lambic beers).

This original success formula stays unchanges. The Toer de Geuze has grown into the largest beer event of Flemish-Brabant and last edition (in 2015) more then 10.000 persons, both national and international, found their way to the Toer de Geuze.

A nice report of the 2015 edition you can find below …

More info: www.horal.be

02/04/2017: Free guided lambic walk in Beersel

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Walk in the new tourist season in Beersel together with family and friends on Sunday 2 April 2017. How? With a free guided walk of 16 km with a few ‘tasty’ stops along the way! Moreover exceptionally the Beersels breweries Oud Beersel and 3 Fonteinen will open their doors and along the way you can witness the brewing process!

Lambiekwandeling Beersel

Since end 2016 the Lambic walk (16 km) is signposted, with the typical hexagonal yellow signs. The theme walk guides you through Alsemberg, Dworp and Beersel and takes you along several touristic eye catchers, all in the frame of lambic beers.

Official inauguration

On Sunday 2 April  2017 the walk is officially inaugurated. Together with an experienced nature guide you will discover Beersels natural beauty. Along the way you will pass several stops that will encourage you to keep going on. You can even take a quick peek in the breweries, and at brewery 3 Fonteinen you have the possibility to see a part of the brewing process with your own eyes.

Armand & Wanne

On top af that the Lambiekstoempers will let you taste a few delicious lambic beers and they will give you also some explanations with it.

Finally end your weekend appropriately with a delicious lambic cocktail taster of Baroness, a lady that serves you the nicest cocktails.

Program

10u15:
Meet at the Visitor’s Center De Lambiek (Gemeenveldstraat 1 – Alsemberg).

10u30:
Official opening Lambic walk by Deputee Sonja Bosmans.
Departure of the walk led by nature guides (16 km).
Possibility to a short visit of the breweries along the way.
Free tasters lambic beer on the road.
Lunch provided at reasonable prices.
Arrival at rhe Visirors Center De Lambiek with a closing Lambic cocktail taster.

18u30:
Presumed end time.

Praktical

Your participation is free. Though registration in advance is required, through lambiekwandeling@beersel.be, and this no later than Friday 24 March! (This event is limited to 200 participants.)

Apropriate walking shoes are required! The Lambic  walk folder is freely available at the Tourist office.
In collaboration with and supported by: Brewery Oud Beersel, Brewery 3 Fonteinen, Geuze blender Hanssens Artisanaal, De Lambikstoempers vzw, Baroness and the Nature guides South West-Brabant.

Lambiekwandeling Beersel

Do you like to take nice pictures?

Participate to the game of  Tourism Beersel and win a lambic beer basket! Take the best photo along the walk and on top af your prize admire your entry on the next edition of the walk folder.

Until then! We wish you a lot of walking fun …

6th HORAL Lambic Award goes to Dominiek Geers

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On Monday 12 December 2016 Horal vzw (High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers) handed out the Lambic Award for the 6th time. This award is handed out to a person that in a special way defended the interests of the traditional lambic beers sector and the promotion of Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek.

HORAL Lambic Award 2016

This year the Winner was the 51-year old Dominiek Geers, manager of Geers Drinks at Oostakker, where all existing geuze producers from the Pajottenland and the Valley of the Senne are continuously represented.

Lambik ambassador

“The members of the High Council for Artisanal Lambic beers surely appreciate the dedication of the family Geers regarding the promotion and sale of traditional lambic beers, and our ‘Oude Geuze’ and ‘Oude Kriek’ in special”, according to HORAL-president Frank Boon in the visitor’s center ‘De Lambiek’ at Alsemberg, where the ceremony took place.

“In this respect, Dominiek is an example for the beer retail trade. We couldn’t imagine a better Lambic ambassador this year. That is why the members of the High Courncil unanimously awarded the Lambic Award to Dominiek this year.”

HORAL Lambic Award 2016

Previous winners

Dominiek Geers can be proud of this award, which in recent years went to Edgar Winderickx (late lambic brewer), Hugo Casaer (former mayor of Beersel), Tim Webb (British beer writer), Stene Isacsson (manager of beer restaurant Akkurat Stockholm) and Daisy Claeys (manageress of café ‘t Bruges Bear Bruges).

Geers Drinks

The family Geers is the sixth generation in the beer world, first as a brewer (until halfway World War II), then as bottler and (after the war) as beer supplier for its own cafes. From 1960 on Hubert Geers, the father of Dominiek, began distribution to a wider audience and deliveries in the Ghent region.

Dranken Geers

From 1980 on the offer of Geers Drinks was greatly expanded and they also paid increasing attention to specialty beers. Because of the growing interest of young clientele for Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek, from the turn of the century Dominiek decides to further broaden its range with the full range of Lambic beers. Assisted by his wife Vera and children Bert & Leen, Dominiek was able to expand his business to almost the whole of Flanders and Brussels. In 2010 he even started an export department.

Those who wants to see it all for themselves, can visit the Ledergemstraat 7 at 9041 Oostakker. More information and schedule: www.drankengeers.be

Photo’s: HDD / HORAL / Beertourism.com – Source: HORAL