Cantillon Cuvée J. F. Vonck

Description
Cantillon Cuvée J.F. Vonck is a lambic that was brewed in 1990 and bottled in 1992. No additional sugar was added for secondary fermentation. Brewed under Jean-Pierre Van Roy, Cantillon determined that this carbonated more than expected for a 2-year-old bottled lambic and called it a gueuze on the label. Jean Van Roy, however, describes this beer as a hybrid due to being insufficiently carbonated for gueuze, but too carbonated for lambic.
History / Other Notes
This beer was made to pay homage to Jan Frans/Johannes Franciscus (or Jean-François in French) Vonck, a lawyer and a leader in the Belgian Revolution. Vonck led a faction called the Vonckists.[1] Vonck fought for democracy including the separation between legislative, executive, and judicial powers.[2] On December 26, 1789, the state of Brabant declared its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in Brussels.[3]
Jean-Pierre Van Roy's description of the history of Cuvée J.F. Vonck in the June 2015 Grummelinkske newsletter reads as follows (translated freely from Dutch to English):
"In January of 1992, the Cercle d'Histoire de Bruxelles (History Society of Brussels) invited me at the Espace Jacqmotte in the Hoogstraat to deliver a presentation on 'Geuze, a miracle from Brussels'. After the speech, a man walked up to me. He was called mister Maskens, chief coordinator of the anniversary celebrations for Jan-Frans Vonck. One thing you should know is that Vonck's life was heavily involved with the Brabant Revolution of 1789-1790, which had as a purpose to create an independent Belgian state with three solid principles: freedom, justice and democracy.
Jan-Frans Vonck died in exile in Lilles in 1792, but without a doubt, he was of pivotal importance to our independence in 1830 and the democratic society we live in today.
'Could you brew a special beer for us, to commemmorate the 200th anniversary of Vonck's passing?', was mister Maskens' question. And so, the Cuvée Vonck 1992 was born. It was a geuze with only refermented old lambic, hence a predecessor for the Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze."
Label
Label Text (translated):
J.F. Vonck, head of the Brabant revolution and father of our political freedoms.
References
- ↑ Vonckists - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vonckists%7CVonckists]
- ↑ Brabant Revolution - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabant_Revolution]
- ↑ 1789 - http://www.1789-1815.com/1789.htm
Photos
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Cuvée J.F. Vonck and Cuvée Mozart
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J.F. Vonck Tasting 2014
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Posted on Cantillon's public Facebook page - November 15, 2012
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Tasting of Vonck before reculturing yeast - September 30, 2024