Brouwerij Oud Beersel: Difference between revisions

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'''Address:''' Laarheidestraat 230, 1650 Beersel

'''Opening Hours of the Bierhuis (bar for tastings):''' Friday 2 PM to 9 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 9 PM, Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM (closed during public holidays and from december 22nd to january 9th). The brewery shop is opened on saturdays from 10 AM to 3 PM, then purchases can happen via the Bierhuis.

'''Visits''': every Saturday at 11 AM and 4 PM in Dutch and at 12 PM and 5 PM in English. Group visits of 8 people or more are organized on demand. 14 euros per person (free for children uner 12) and lasting about 1,5 hour long including a 10cl sample + a 18cl beer of your choice at the end.

== Overview ==

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[[File:BrouwerijOudBeersel-5.jpg|thumb|right|Oud Beersel Geuze, Kriek, and Lambiek]]

Henri Vandervelden, who at the time was working for [[Brasserie de la Couronne | Brouwerij De Kroon]] in Uccle during the cold months, and as a fruit buyer and picker during the warmer months, started construction of his own brewery with the help of local brick fabricators. His experience at Brouwerij De Kroon, that at the time specialized in producing various lambics, gave him the necessary skills to continue on with his own brewery. When Henri’s son Egidius married Catharina Hofmans, the groundwork was laid to expand the Hofmans’ family farm and turn it into an actual brewery. In 1922 Egidius set out to update and upgrade equipment in order to begin producing beers. In the meantime, Egidius’ younger brother Pierre Vandervelden continued his father’s blending and brewing business until shortly after World War II ended.<ref name=GeuzeKriek />

Henri Vandervelden, who at the time was working for [[Brasserie de la Couronne | Brouwerij De Kroon]] in Uccle during the cold months, and as a fruit buyer and picker during the warmer months, started construction of his own brewery with the help of local brick fabricators. His experience at Brouwerij De Kroon, that at the time specialized in producing various lambics, gave him the necessary skills to continue on with his own brewery. When Henri’s son Egidius married Catharina Hofmans, the groundwork was laid to expand the Hofmans’ family farm and turn it into an actual brewery. In 1922, Egidius set out to update and upgrade equipment in order to begin producing beers. In the meantime, Egidius’ younger brother Pierre Vandervelden continued his father’s blending and brewing business until shortly after World War II ended.<ref name=GeuzeKriek />

The brewery that Egidius set up was not initially a lambic brewery, though it produced lambic-esque beers. In many ways, Egidius was the first to establish a non-traditional lambic. By 1930, he was the first to produce a sweetened, pasteurized kriek in bottles with a crown and a cap.<ref name=GeuzeKriek /><ref name=OudBeerselHistory> Oud Beersel History (Dutch), http://www.oudbeersel.com/brouwerij/historie/</ref> Lambic was not produced at Oud Beersel until shortly before World War II started using old second-hand equipment. The production was halted when, at the order of the occupying forces, brewers were not permitted to use wheat in their beers. As a replacement, Egidius began to brew a low-alcohol beer using ground-up and dried sugar beet and some hops.<ref name=GeuzeKriek>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref> Egidius passed away at a young age in 1953, leaving the brewery to his son Henri Vandervelden II.

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Nearly three years later in November of 2005, a pair of friends, Gert Christiaens & Roland De Bus reopened the brewery and restarted wort production at Boon. Though reopened only as a side project, Oud Beersel continued to grow and Roland De Bus resigned in 2007 leaving the company to Gert Christiaens. Today, Oud Beersel lambic is still brewed at Boon based on specifications from older recipes of the Vandervelden family and then immediately transported to Oud Beersel for barreling. Though the wort is still brewed at Boon, Oud Beersel is blended in-house without the addition of other brewery’s lambic. Today Oud Beersel’s production is up to nearly 1,050 hectoliters, half of which which includes two non-lambic beers.<ref name=GeuzeKriek /> Oud Beersel became a member of [[HORAL|HORAL]] on January 18, 2006.<ref name=OudBeerselHistory> Oud Beersel History (Dutch), http://www.oudbeersel.com/brouwerij/historie/</ref><ref name=HoralOudBeersel>HORAL, Oud Beersel (Dutch), http://www.horal.be/leden/oud-beersel-beersel</ref> On May 25, 2006 , exactly six months after the official reopening of the brewery, Oud Beersel released a limited test batch of Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek which paved the way for the 2007 bottling of Oude Geuze to be voted the world’s best geuze by the magazine “Beers of the World."<ref name=OudBeerselHistory> Oud Beersel History (Dutch), http://www.oudbeersel.com/brouwerij/historie/</ref>

In 2015 Oud Beersel added additional 60 and 120 hectoliter foudres to the second floor renovated loft of the brewery. In 2017, Oud Beersel acquired 1.71 hectares of farmland behind the brewery, where a new orchard of 320 Schaerbeekse cherry trees was planted. The first harvest from the orchard is expected in 2020.<ref name=EditiePajot>Oud BEERSEL - Aanplanting Kriekerij van Schaarbeekse krieken, Feb. 24, 2017. https://editiepajot.com/regios/3/articles/53084</ref> Henri Vandervelden II passed away ~~in 2018~~ at the age of 91.

In 2015 Oud Beersel added additional 60 and 120 hectoliter foudres to the second floor renovated loft of the brewery. In 2017, Oud Beersel acquired 1.71 hectares of farmland behind the brewery, where a new orchard of 320 Schaerbeekse cherry trees was planted. The first harvest from the orchard is expected in 2020.<ref name=EditiePajot>Oud BEERSEL - Aanplanting Kriekerij van Schaarbeekse krieken, Feb. 24, 2017. https://editiepajot.com/regios/3/articles/53084</ref>

In 2018 and after a decade of planning, the blendery launched their Beer Box range, a modern take on the historic practice of selling lambic from wooden barrels. Using the bag-in-a-box system (used in the world of wine and sporadically in the lambic scene) of 3.1 liters, they created a new unique version with pressure-resistant bags that allows safe storage of lambic over at least 3 years, and started selling an ever-evolving portfolio of experimental infusions such as lambic macerated with hibiscus, olive tree leaves, rose petals, spices or even infused with particular types of woods or hop varietals. They also started including new types of barrels in their cellars such as whisky, madeira or port, with lambics later premiered at a tasting during Toer de Geuze, and bottled later on.

That same year, Henri Vandervelden II passed away at the age of 91.

After 2 decades closed, the historic brewery pub was restored in 2022 (it used to run from 1934 - when the farm and cart shed on the new brewery site were transformed into a bar by Edigius Vandervelden - until 2022, and then became a flower shop until they purchased it back in 2017). The front was restored traditionally displaying bright orange and white colors, with a sign hand painted like in the old days. It offers inside seating for about 100 people and outdoor seating for 60 people, with around 12 Oud Beersel beers on tap as well as bottle service and food.

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* [[Oude Geuze Barrel Selection Port Wood Whisky Edition]]

* [[Oude Geuze Barrel Selection Porto Edition]]

* [[Oude Geuze Cuvée Christiaens|Oude Geuze Cuvée Christiaens]]

* [[Oude Geuze Cuvée Marvellous|Oude Geuze Cuvée Marvellous]]

* [[Oude Geuze Reserve 2020|Oude Geuze Reserve 2020]]

* [[Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille|Oude Geuze Vieille]]

* [[Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille Barrel Selection Oude Pijpen|Oude Geuze Vieille - Barrel Selection Oude Pijpen]]

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* [[Oud Beersel Oude Kriek Vieille|Oude Kriek Vieille]]

* [[Oud Beersel Kriek|Kriek]]

* [[Oud Beersel Rhubarb Lambiek|Rhubarb Lambiek]]

* [[Oud Beersel Schaarbeekse Oude Kriek|Schaarbeekse Oude Kriek]]

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 '''Address:''' Laarheidestraat 230, 1650 Beersel
+'''Opening Hours of the Bierhuis (bar for tastings):''' Friday 2 PM to 9 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 9 PM, Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM (closed during public holidays and from december 22nd to january 9th). The brewery shop is opened on saturdays from 10 AM to 3 PM, then purchases can happen via the Bierhuis.
+'''Visits''': every Saturday at 11 AM and 4 PM in Dutch and at 12 PM and 5 PM in English. Group visits of 8 people or more are organized on demand. 14 euros per person (free for children uner 12) and lasting about 1,5 hour long including a 10cl sample + a 18cl beer of your choice at the end.
 == Overview ==
@@ Line 13: / Line 17: @@
 [[File:BrouwerijOudBeersel-5.jpg|thumb|right|Oud Beersel Geuze, Kriek, and Lambiek]]
-Henri Vandervelden, who at the time was working for [[Brasserie de la Couronne | Brouwerij De Kroon]] in Uccle during the cold months, and as a fruit buyer and picker during the warmer months, started construction of his own brewery with the help of local brick fabricators. His experience at Brouwerij De Kroon, that at the time specialized in producing various lambics, gave him the necessary skills to continue on with his own brewery. When Henri’s son Egidius married Catharina Hofmans, the groundwork was laid to expand the Hofmans’ family farm and turn it into an actual brewery. In 1922 Egidius set out to update and upgrade equipment in order to begin producing beers. In the meantime, Egidius’ younger brother Pierre Vandervelden continued his father’s blending and brewing business until shortly after World War II ended.<ref name=GeuzeKriek />
+Henri Vandervelden, who at the time was working for [[Brasserie de la Couronne | Brouwerij De Kroon]] in Uccle during the cold months, and as a fruit buyer and picker during the warmer months, started construction of his own brewery with the help of local brick fabricators. His experience at Brouwerij De Kroon, that at the time specialized in producing various lambics, gave him the necessary skills to continue on with his own brewery. When Henri’s son Egidius married Catharina Hofmans, the groundwork was laid to expand the Hofmans’ family farm and turn it into an actual brewery. In 1922, Egidius set out to update and upgrade equipment in order to begin producing beers. In the meantime, Egidius’ younger brother Pierre Vandervelden continued his father’s blending and brewing business until shortly after World War II ended.<ref name=GeuzeKriek />
 The brewery that Egidius set up was not initially a lambic brewery, though it produced lambic-esque beers. In many ways, Egidius was the first to establish a non-traditional lambic. By 1930, he was the first to produce a sweetened, pasteurized kriek in bottles with a crown and a cap.<ref name=GeuzeKriek /><ref name=OudBeerselHistory> Oud Beersel History (Dutch), http://www.oudbeersel.com/brouwerij/historie/</ref> Lambic was not produced at Oud Beersel until shortly before World War II started using old second-hand equipment.  The production was halted when, at the order of the occupying forces, brewers were not permitted to use wheat in their beers. As a replacement, Egidius began to brew a low-alcohol beer using ground-up and dried sugar beet and some hops.<ref name=GeuzeKriek>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref> Egidius passed away at a young age in 1953, leaving the brewery to his son Henri Vandervelden II.
@@ Line 22: / Line 26: @@
 Nearly three years later in November of 2005, a pair of friends, Gert Christiaens & Roland De Bus reopened the brewery and restarted wort production at Boon. Though reopened only as a side project, Oud Beersel continued to grow and Roland De Bus resigned in 2007 leaving the company to Gert Christiaens. Today, Oud Beersel lambic is still brewed at Boon based on specifications from older recipes of the Vandervelden family and then immediately transported to Oud Beersel for barreling. Though the wort is still brewed at Boon, Oud Beersel is blended in-house without the addition of other brewery’s lambic. Today Oud Beersel’s production is up to nearly 1,050 hectoliters, half of which which includes two non-lambic beers.<ref name=GeuzeKriek /> Oud Beersel became a member of [[HORAL|HORAL]] on January 18, 2006.<ref name=OudBeerselHistory> Oud Beersel History (Dutch), http://www.oudbeersel.com/brouwerij/historie/</ref><ref name=HoralOudBeersel>HORAL, Oud Beersel (Dutch), http://www.horal.be/leden/oud-beersel-beersel</ref> On May 25, 2006 , exactly six months after the official reopening of the brewery, Oud Beersel released a limited test batch of Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek which paved the way for the 2007 bottling of Oude Geuze to be voted the world’s best geuze by the magazine “Beers of the World."<ref name=OudBeerselHistory> Oud Beersel History (Dutch), http://www.oudbeersel.com/brouwerij/historie/</ref>
-In 2015 Oud Beersel added additional 60 and 120 hectoliter foudres to the second floor renovated loft of the brewery. In 2017, Oud Beersel acquired 1.71 hectares of farmland behind the brewery, where a new orchard of 320 Schaerbeekse cherry trees was planted. The first harvest from the orchard is expected in 2020.<ref name=EditiePajot>Oud BEERSEL - Aanplanting Kriekerij van Schaarbeekse krieken, Feb. 24, 2017. https://editiepajot.com/regios/3/articles/53084</ref> Henri Vandervelden II passed away in 2018 at the age of 91.
+In 2015 Oud Beersel added additional 60 and 120 hectoliter foudres to the second floor renovated loft of the brewery. In 2017, Oud Beersel acquired 1.71 hectares of farmland behind the brewery, where a new orchard of 320 Schaerbeekse cherry trees was planted. The first harvest from the orchard is expected in 2020.<ref name=EditiePajot>Oud BEERSEL - Aanplanting Kriekerij van Schaarbeekse krieken, Feb. 24, 2017. https://editiepajot.com/regios/3/articles/53084</ref>
+In 2018 and after a decade of planning, the blendery launched their Beer Box range, a modern take on the historic practice of selling lambic from wooden barrels. Using the bag-in-a-box system (used in the world of wine and sporadically in the lambic scene) of 3.1 liters, they created a new unique version with pressure-resistant bags that allows safe storage of lambic over at least 3 years, and started selling an ever-evolving portfolio of experimental infusions such as lambic macerated with hibiscus, olive tree leaves, rose petals, spices or even infused with particular types of woods or hop varietals. They also started including new types of barrels in their cellars such as whisky, madeira or port, with lambics later premiered at a tasting during Toer de Geuze, and bottled later on.
+That same year, Henri Vandervelden II passed away at the age of 91.
+After 2 decades closed, the historic brewery pub was restored in 2022 (it used to run from 1934 - when the farm and cart shed on the new brewery site were transformed into a bar by Edigius Vandervelden - until 2022, and then became a flower shop until they purchased it back in 2017). The front was restored traditionally displaying bright orange and white colors, with a sign hand painted like in the old days. It offers inside seating for about 100 people and outdoor seating for 60 people, with around 12 Oud Beersel beers on tap as well as bottle service and food.
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 * [[Oude Geuze Barrel Selection Port Wood Whisky Edition]]
 * [[Oude Geuze Barrel Selection Porto Edition]]
+* [[Oude Geuze Cuvée Christiaens|Oude Geuze Cuvée Christiaens]]
 * [[Oude Geuze Cuvée Marvellous|Oude Geuze Cuvée Marvellous]]
+* [[Oude Geuze Reserve 2020|Oude Geuze Reserve 2020]]
 * [[Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille|Oude Geuze Vieille]]
 * [[Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille Barrel Selection Oude Pijpen|Oude Geuze Vieille - Barrel Selection Oude Pijpen]]
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 * [[Oud Beersel Oude Kriek Vieille|Oude Kriek Vieille]]
 * [[Oud Beersel Kriek|Kriek]]
+* [[Oud Beersel Rhubarb Lambiek|Rhubarb Lambiek]]
 * [[Oud Beersel Schaarbeekse Oude Kriek|Schaarbeekse Oude Kriek]]