Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck

Website: [www.vanhonsebrouck.be]

Phone: 051/33 51 60

Address: Oostrozebekestraat 43, 8770 Ingelmunster

Overview

Van Honsebrouck is a producer of spontaneous fermentation beers, that began producing to compete with the success of Belle-Vue Gueuze in the 1950's. By the early 70's they were brewing their own lambic-style products, using a koelschip and foeders for aging.

History

Founded in 1900, Van Honsebrouck began as a family brewery, and is currently in the 4th generation of family ownership in Ingelmunster.

In early 1950, Van Honsebrouck began distributing Belle Vue and observed the increasing demand for the beer. In 1957, the brewery began buying wort from Van Haelen Fréres in Uccle. At the brewery, it was transferred into foudres that held Bacchus, the brewery's Flemish Red, and blended with a house-brewed wort. This eventually inoculated the yeast culture into the foudres and was enough to begin lambic production in house.

The brewer had attempted trucking their wort to the Payottenland for cooling, but this experiment was unsuccessful. After 1971, a microclimate was created from the year-long presence of Van Haelen wort, and after that no more wort was purchased from the lambic brewer.

After 1978, Van Honsebrouck was the second largest Gueuze producer after Belle Vue.

Since 1997, Van Honsebrouck has produced a traditional product, Gueuze Fond Tradition. Wood shavings and oak bars were used from 2008 until 2012 when new foeders were set up. As of 2010, 45% of the annual production is dedicated to spontaneous fermentation beers.

Beers

• Saint Louis Gueuze
• Saint Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition
• Saint Louis Kriek
• Premium Faro
• Premium Framboise
• Premium Kriek