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Herberg De Zwaan, Dworp
It’s one of the great lambic cafes of Belgium, and it’s barely two years old. Herberg De Zwaan just opened on October 1, 2011, yet it has already made a big impression on local beer lovers and with International visitors. I’m one of them. I first paid a visit to the cafe the day before…
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Seizoensbrouwerij Vandewalle in Celebrator Beer News
I’m happy to say that I have a 1,500 word article on the great new Seizoensbrouwerij Vandewalle in the December 2013 issue of Celebrator Beer News. You can read the article for free here. Chris Vandewalle is one of Belgium’s new, cutting edge brewers…and he’s doing it all with a 50-liter brewery, so far. Yes,…
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Belgian Family Brewers Press Trip, Day 2
Back to the tale of the Belgian Family Brewers press trip, which was 6 to 10 November. Thursday, November 7th was as dreary a day as the last few had been. “Typical Belgian weather,” as all the brewers, bar owners, and locals would say. After 27 trips to Belgium, I can’t tell you how many…
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Brouwerij Van Campenhout
The Province of Flemish Brabant has another new brewery, and it’s on the site of an old brewery. Which seems to be a trend these days. One that I approve of. Whole-heartedly. Brouwerij Van Campenhout is located in Kampenhout, which is due northeast of Brussels, on the road to Haacht. Yes, another Belgian brewery…. In…
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MBAA (Master Brewers Association of America) glassware
I have some old glassware from MBAA conventions, going back to as early as 1969 in Toronto. I don’t really want these glasses anymore, so if anyone is interested, feel free to make a monetary or beer trade offer for them. higrav1 AT gmail dot com
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Irish Pub Dubh-Linn, #1 Orval Ambassador Cafe 2013
It’s almost 2014, but there’s a great café that’s deserves some attention for its accomplishments in 2013. Irish Pub Dubh-Linn, located at a crossroads in Wolfsdonk, Flemish Brabant, between Aarschot and Diest, is the number one Orval Ambassador café for 2013. It was awarded the “Magna Cum Laude” distinction by the Trappist brewery in late…
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Enjoying a De Cam/3 Fonteinen Millennium Geuze
It’s one of the “white whale” beers of the world. It’s considered by some to be one of the top lambic brews ever produced. Millennium Geuze, a collaboration beer between Willem Van Herreweghen, former owner and blender of Geuzestekerij De Cam in Gooik, and Armand Debelder of 3 Fonteinen of Beersel, is one of the…
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De Lambikstoempers “Day of the Old Geuze” is next weekend in Halle
De Lambikstoempers, the premier lambic beer appreciation and promotion club in Belgium’s Payottenland, is holding their eighth annual “Dag Van de Oude Geuze” or Day of the Old Geuze, next weekend. The venue is the Streekproductencentrum (Regional Products Center) in Halle, eight miles south of Brussels. Halle is linked by two to three trains an…
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Belgian Family Brewers Press Trip, Day One
I was honored to be invited to attend the first ever Belgian Family Brewers Press trip, held from 6 to 10 November. We visited eight breweries, and had presentations and tastings about all 21 brouwerijen and brasseries. Among the 21 are some of the best breweries in Belgium, including several of my favorites. The Belgian…
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Cafe De Kluis, Buizingen (Halle) a new lambic cafe
The outskirts of town east of the historic city of Halle, a rail hub with 35,000 inhabitants about ten miles south of Brussels, has a new lambic beer-focused cafe. Cafe De Kluis, at Nachtegaalstraat 128, Buizingen, opened this spring. De Kluis (“The Cloister”) has a good beer list, and focuses on the lambic, geuze, and…