WOFD Vergistingen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/WOFD-Vergistingen-100090311506781/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wofd_vergistingen/
Email: vergistingen@wofd.be

Overview

The blendery was created in 2022 by friends Bram, Steven, and Wout in Kortrijk, in the western part of Belgium close to the French border. The actual blending takes place in a warehouse in Dottignies.

History / Other Notes

The idea for this project came to the trio of friends one evening while enjoying quality blended beers at the restaurant De Gebrande Winning, just after the first COVID-19 lockdown. While driving home the following day, Bram, Steven, and Wout began setting plans in motion. They started looking for a space and searching for quality fruits to source. Additionally, they took two lambic blending courses to ensure they would do things the proper way. On May 2022, the first macerations started.

The very first beers were presented to the public in June, 2023 during the Carnivale Brettanomyces festival in Amsterdam. The positive feedback received during the event encouraged the friends to grow WOFD into a commercial operation, allowing them to provide more beers for lambic enthusiasts.

The philosophy behind WOFD Vergistingen is to produce fruity blends that are refreshing, but not too acidic. The beers are rather fruit forward and easy to drink, with the conviction that one should be able to enjoy multiple glasses on a sunny summer evening. The complexities should continually spark interest throughout the entire tasting process. These goals may be reached by using real fruits, as well as herbs and modern hops.

The lambics used in WOFD blends range from 1-year-old to 5-year-old and are sourced from various brewers, including:

De Troch

Den Herberg

Lindemans

Sako

Brouwerij Angerik

The fruits are sourced from where they are judged to be at their best, based on when they are needed (either from a wholesale supplier or directly from a farmer). The grapes, mainly Pinot Noir and Gamay, are sourced from a wine domain in the western region of Belgium.

Side Notes

WOFD (or rather "wofd") means 'head' in the Kortrijk dialect and refers to the primary fermentation that plays a crucial role in the lambic used for these wonderful fruity beers. And if you drink too much of it, the logo on the bottle (a head filled with bubbles) refers to the local saying: 'I have a head.' The names of the first beers are inspired by episodes of FC de Kampioenen, a locally famous comedy TV series on the VRT Belgian channel, and other shows with comical episode titles will continue to provide inspiration for future beer names.

In general, the WOFD Vergistingen crew does not take themselves too seriously, as is reflected in the names of the company, beers, and in their social media posts. However, Bram, Steven, and Wout are quite serious regarding the level of quality that goes into their beers, as they aim to reach the highest standards possible.

The beers are poured at various events and are being released to people who have shown interest through a mailing list. Currently there is only one bar in Belgium that pours WOFD beers: Hops and More in Leuven.

In the future, WOFD Vergistingen aims to continue producing enjoyable lambics, as well as the occasional (hybrid) blend with befriended blenders. The project will remain a small-scale operation, as the blendery is a hobby that has already gotten a little bit out of hand, according to them.

Beers

Experimental Series: POP Juice #1: Dry hopped lambic with Yakima Chief hops (poured at Carnivale Brettanomyces 2023 as well as Malz: new wave blenders 2023).

Experimental Series: POP Juice #2: Dry hopped lambic with Yakima Chief hops (never released).

Experimental Series: Cuvée Stylo #1: Blend of lambics with apricots (poured at Carnivale Brettanomyces 2023, as well as Malz: new wave blenders 2023).

Experimental Series: Le Juice #1: Blend of lambics with Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes (poured at Carnivale Brettanomyces 2023 as well as Malz: new wave blenders 2023).

Experimental Series: Daddy Juice #1: Blend of lambics with rhubarb from our dad's gardens (poured at Carnivale Brettanomyces 2023 as well as Malz: new wave blenders 2023).

Friet met Mayonaise #1: Blend of 1yo to 4yo lambics with Weinberg nectarines, bottled on 12/31/2023 (poured at The Beer Experience 2024 as well as Gebrande Winning: Casino Totale). Released to the public on October 2024.

Carmens Wasmachine #1: Blend of 1yo to 4yo lambics with elderflower, bottled on 12/31/2023 (poured at The Beer Experience 2024 as well as Gebrande Winning: Casino Totale). Released to the public on October 2024.

Dag van de Secretaresse #1: Blend of 1yo to 4yo lambics with rhubarb and apricots, bottled on 01/06/2024 (poured at The Beer Experience 2024as well as Gebrande Winning: Casino Totale). Released to the public on October 2024.

Een Groen Blaadje #1: Blend of 1yo to 4yo lambics with Auxerrois Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc grapes, bottled on 12/19/2023 (poured at The Beer Experience 2024 as well as Gebrande Winning: Casino Totale). Released to the public on October 2024.

Boem! #1: Blend of 1yo to 4yo lambics with apricots, clove and a hint of rhubarb, bottled on 01/21/2024 (poured at The Beer Experience 2024 as well as Gebrande Winning: Casino Totale). Released to the public on October 2024.

Smeergeld #1: Blend of 1yo to 4yo lambics with Pinot Noir grapes, bottled on 07/21/2024 (poured at Gebrande Winning: Casino Totale). Released to the public on October 2024.

Tony de Pony #1: Blend of 1yo to 4yo lambics dry hopped with Crystal, bottled on 10/16/2024 (not yet released)