Delete, Protect, administrator
8,485
edits
Changes
→Van Honsebrouck Definition of Lambic
When Van Honesbrouck began making what they view as lambic around 1958 they were indeed bringing in wort from a ''bona fide'' lambic producer in the Pajottenland and maturing it in their own barrels. Capitalizing on the popularity of [[Sweetened_Lambic|sweetened lambic]], Luc Van Honsebrouck saw a business opportunity. What he did not see, according to Raymond Buren, was the uniqueness of the product to the Senne Valley. Buren quotes Van Honsebrouck: "The Senne, he says, is the sewer of Brussels." Van Honsebrouck goes on to wonder who created the geographic border typically recognized by lambic producers anyhow: "Kobbegem isn’t in the Pajottenland”, he notes (refering to [[Brasserie_Mort_Subite|Mort Subite]]). “My gueuze conforms to the taste of the times, it’s refreshing and sells well in France, it’s from that perspective that I’ve named it St. Louis.”<ref name=GeuzeFaroEtKriek>Raymond Buren, [[Books#Gueuze.2C_Faro_et_Kriek|Gueuze, Faro, et Kriek]], 1992</ref>
Luc Van Honsebrouck also took issue with the Royal Decree of 1965 which sought to protect lambic against counterfeiting. It stated a geographical boundary of 20km around Brussels was as the defined area for lambic production. He learned of this almost by accident, after a visit from lambic brewer Edgar Winderickx, whom he knew from his brewing school days. He appealed against the Royal Decree and won, arguing "If Brussels says people can't make gueze geuze in Ingelmunster, then it simply would not work there". <ref name=GeuzeKriek>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref>
Presently, the Van Honsebrouck brewery uses a coolship to spontaneously ferment their Saint Louis line of beers and uses aged hops while continuing to sweeten their fruited versions.<ref name=HonseBrewing> Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck, [http://www.vanhonsebrouck.be/en/brouwproces Brewing Process]</ref>