Boerenerf

Website (Dutch): https://www.eylenbosch.bio/

Contact: info@eylenbosch.bio

Address: Sollenberg 3, 1654 Huizingen

Phone: +32 471310948

Overview

Het Boerenerf Eylenbosch is a working organic farm and lambic blendery located in Huizingen. It is a revival of the former Eylenbosch (Huizingen) brewery (located down the street) under founder and blender Senne Eylenbosch after having started the project on his grandparent's farm in 2020. The name of the blendery is a Flemish translation of 'The Farmstead'. The farm also serves its own ice cream and grows its own fruits and grains.

Boerenerf Eylenbosch, courtesy of Senne Eylenbosch

History

The history of Eylenbosch in Huizingen extends to 1864 when it began as a brewery named Cammaert, which existed from 1864-1895. Cammaert's great-granddaughter Anna Maria married Martinus Josephus Eylenbosch in 1874, and he later took over brewery operations from Joannes-Baptista Wynants-Cammaert in 1895. Eylenbosch passed away in 1922, leaving the brewery to his sons Jan-Baptist and Georges, who continued managing the brewery and blending gueuze.

While geuze and lambic were experiencing a boom in the early 20th century, by the mid 20th century much of the industry had seen a decline due to the introduction of sweetened drinks like sodas and lemonades, as well as the industrialization of lambic after World War II. By 1965, the brewery had brewed its last batch of lambic and continued to operate as liquor store for some years. Finally, in 2006-2008 the remaining brewery buildings were converted into residential lofts.

While the brewery did not survive the initial collapse of the lambic industry, the Eylenbosch family continued to operate the farm, raising livestock, growing grains and fruits, and managing a dairy on-site. In 2019, Senne Eylenbosch converted part of his grandparents' farm into a geuzestekerij (lambic blendery) and began to lay the groundwork for the revival of the Eylenbosch (Huizingen) beers.

In June of 2021, the blendery announced a new range of fruited lambics that marked the first release of an Eylenbosch (Huizingen) lambic in over 50 years. In 2022, the first Oude Geuze blends should also be ready for release.

Boerenerf Eylenbosch Courtyard, courtesy of Senne Eylenbosch

Brewing and Blending Process

Het Boerenerf is a blendery, and currently has no brewing equipment. The bottling is done manually by the blender at the farm, because there's no automated bottling machinery. As of summer 2021, Het Boerenerf has 25 barrels of different sizes (500 and 220 liters) originating from Burgundy and Bourdeaux. The first batch of lambic to go into barrels was brewed at 3 Fonteinen on April 28 and April 29 2020. This initial brew makes up the majority of Het Boerenerf's first fruited lambic release. As of 2021, Het Boerenerf has also recieved wort from De Troch as well as Lindemans. The first release of fruited lambic represents some of the shortest chain lambic available with all of the brewing ingredients and fruit coming directly from Pajottenland soil. The blendery wants to promote short chain beers, and this means that the beers will only be for sale at the farm.

Beers

Fruit

• Kweepeerlambiek
• Kweeperlambiek met Cider
• Oude Kers
• Oude Kriek
• Oude Kriek met Cider
• Oude Schaerbeekse Kriek

Photos

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  Courtyard at Boerenerf

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  Installing hop poles at Boerenerf

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  Hop bines at Boerenerf

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  2020 Schaerbeekse Cherry Harvest at Boerenerf

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  Apples fermenting at Boerenerf

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  Cherries fermenting at Boerenerf