Bokke

Instagram: @_bokke_

Phone:

E-mail: info@bokke.be

Overview

Bokke is a blendery founded by Raf Souvereyns in Hasselt, Limburg, Belgium.

History

Raf Souvereyns, an active member of the lambic community, started producing his own lambic blends in 2013. Having gotten his first exposure to gueuze with a bottle of Girardin through a tasting group in university, he grew interested in blending.

Initially, the barrels were stocked inside the house of his grandmother in the town of Diepenbeek, roughly 10 kilometers outside of Hasselt, where the blendery is currently located. Under the guidance of Ulrich ‘Uli’ Kremer from Huisstekerij h.Ertie, he honed his craft over the next few years. His first experimental bottlings were mostly intended for friends.

Raf’s invitation to the Copenhagen Beer Celebration (later renamed Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen) in 2016 lead to his international breakthrough. For the first time, he served his beers to a large crowd with resounding acclaim.

Bokke also enjoyed a strong fan following from the USA during this time, being invited to host several high-profile tastings, including at bars such as Ebenezer’s Pub in Lovell, Maine and events including Brews for New Avenues in Portland, Oregon. Raf’s beers also received high praise at several festivals both in Europe and in the US.

The blendery was announced as the winner of the 2016 Ratebeer Award for Best New Brewery in January 2017. Although Bokke has gained much recognition over the years, the beers have only been sold to go to the public very sporadically. They have also never been officially sold in beer stores, save for a few special launch events and highly occasional webshop releases. Bokke’s primary focus lies in distribution to bars and restaurants. Unlike most small newer blenderies, Raf has consciously chosen not to work with a subscription or ‘members club’ system and therefore, public releases have always been on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, Raf was faced with a family bereavement and health issues. As of the time of writing, no new bottle releases have officially made it public. Production, however, has been steadily increasing and the blendery moved into a new space in 2022.

Beers

Fruit

Gueuze

Lambic

Saison lambic blends

Photos

References

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