Difference between revisions of "Brasserie Cantillon"

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'''Phone:''' +32 2 521.49.28
 
'''Phone:''' +32 2 521.49.28
  
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'''Address:'''  56 rue Gheude B-1070 Brussels  
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'''Address:'''  56 rue Gheude, B-1070 Brussels  
  
 
== Overview ==
 
== Overview ==
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Cantillon is the only traditional lambic brewery located within the city of Brussels.  Founded in 1900, today Cantillon operates both as a brewery and as a living museum, the [[Museums#Brussels Gueuze Museum|Brussels Gueuze Museum (Musée bruxellois de la gueuze)]]. They use 100% organic grains and hops in all of their beers.  Cantillon brews traditional lambic products, using 65% malted barley and 35% unmalted wheat.  Their beers are spontaneously fermented using a large coolship in the attic and fermented in oak barrels. Their flagship products, which are discussed further below, include: [[File:BrasserieCantillon-18.jpg|thumb|right|Wall of Gueuze at Cantillon]]
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Cantillon is the only traditional lambic brewery located within the city of Brussels.  Founded in 1900, today Cantillon operates both as a brewery and as a living museum, the [[Brussels Gueuze Museum|Brussels Gueuze Museum (Musée bruxellois de la gueuze)]]. Cantillon uses 100% organic grains and hops in all of its beers.  Cantillon brews traditional lambic products, using 65% malted barley and 35% unmalted wheat.  Cantillon's beers are spontaneously fermented using a large coolship in the attic of the brewery and fermented in oak barrels. The brewery's flagship products, which are discussed further below, include: [[File:BrasserieCantillon-18.jpg|thumb|right|Wall of Gueuze at Cantillon]]
 
<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;-webkit-column-count:2">
 
<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;-webkit-column-count:2">
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* Fou Foune
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* [[Cantillon_Fou' Foune| Fou' Foune]]
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* Gueuze
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* [[Cantillon_Classic_Gueuze_100%25_Lambic| Gueuze]]
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* Grand Cru Bruocsella
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* [[Cantillon_Grand_Cru_Bruocsella| Grand Cru Bruocsella]]
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* Iris
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* [[Cantillon_Iris| Iris]]
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* Kriek 100% Lambic
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* [[Cantillon_Kriek_100%_Lambic| Kriek 100% Lambic]]
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* Lou Pepe Framboise
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* [[Cantillon_Lou_Pepe_-_Framboise| Lou Pepe Framboise]]
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* Lou Pepe Gueuze
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* [[Cantillon_Lou_Pepe_Gueuze| Lou Pepe Gueuze]]
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* Lou Pepe Kriek
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* [[Cantillon_Lou_Pepe_-_Kriek| Lou Pepe Kriek]]
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* Mamouche
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* [[Cantillon_Mamouche| Mamouche]]
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* Rosé de Gambrinus
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* [[Cantillon_Rosé_de_Gambrinus| Rosé de Gambrinus]]
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* Saint Lamvinus
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* [[Cantillon_Saint_Lamvinus| Saint Lamvinus]]
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* Vigneronne
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* [[Cantillon_Vigneronne| Vigneronne]]
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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In addition, they brew a variety of beers for special occasions and experimental releases. Cantillon hosts [[Cantillon Zwanze Day|Zwanze Day]], [[Cantillon Quintessence|Quintessence]], and [[Cantillon Open Brew Days|Open Brew Days]].  They also participate in the [[Weekend of Spontaneous Fermentation]], the [[Nacht van de Grote Dorst - Night of the Great Thirst|Night of the Great Thirst]], and a variety of other festivals worldwide.
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In addition to these beers, Cantillon brews a variety of beers for special occasions and experimental releases. The brewery hosts [[Cantillon Zwanze Day|Zwanze Day]], [[Cantillon Quintessence|Quintessence]], and [[Cantillon_Public_Brewing_Sessions|Cantillon Public Brewing Sessions]].  Cantillon also participates in the [[Weekend of Spontaneous Fermentation]], the [[Night_of_the_Great_Thirst|Night of the Great Thirst]], and a variety of other festivals worldwide.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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The roots of Brasserie Cantillon stretch back even further than the brewery’s officially recognized founding date of 1900. According to Van den Steen in [[Books#Geuze_.26_Kriek:_The_Secret_of_Lambic_Beer|''Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer'']], the forefather of the Cantillon brewing family was a grain merchant named Auguste whose son, Paul, had no intention of continuing his father’s craft. Auguste then began to search for a business that would suit his son’s brewing hobby. Since starting a brewery was too expensive, Paul made several attempts to take over breweries in the [[The_Language_of_Lambic#The_Town_of_Lembeek|Lembeek]] area. By 1894 Auguste had bought the Vandezande-Van Roy brewery located in Lembeek’s Hondzocht district. <ref name=GeuzeKriek>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref>
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The roots of Brasserie Cantillon stretch back even further than the brewery’s officially recognized founding date of 1900. According to Van den Steen in [[Books#Geuze_.26_Kriek:_The_Secret_of_Lambic_Beer|''Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer'']], the forefather of the Cantillon brewing family was a grain merchant named Auguste whose son, Paul, had no intention of continuing his father’s craft. Auguste then began to search for a business that would suit his son’s brewing hobby. Since starting a brewery was too expensive, Auguste made several attempts to take over breweries in the [[The_Language_of_Lambic#The_Town_of_Lembeek|Lembeek]] area. By 1894, Auguste had bought the Vandezande-Van Roy brewery located in Lembeek’s Hondzocht district, which was active until 1925 as [[Cantillon_Fréres| Cantillon Fréres]].<ref name=GeuzeKriek>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref>
  
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By 1900, Paul Cantillon and his wife Marie Troch began a gueuze blending business in the industrial quarter of Cureghem which was part of the southern Brussels community of Anderlecht.  The brewery was located in a very busy area near the Bruxelles-Midi train station, the Mons boulevard, and the canal that ran through the city. Jean-Pierre Van Roy, who wrote the forward to [[Books#La_Gueuze_gourmande|''La Gueuze Gourmande'']], calls the period between 1900 and 1937 the ''"première periode de la brasserie"''. During these first thirty-seven years Cantillon never actually brewed a beer. Instead, they bought lambic from a variety of producers in the area to blend and sell on their own, considering Cantillon a ''biersteker'' (beer blender) and ''marchand de bières'' (beer merchant). They would house their beers at Gheudestraat 56-58 where the brewery is located today.<ref name=“LaGueuzeGourmande”>Nicole Darchambeau, [[Books#La Gueuze gourmande|La Gueuze gourmande]], 2006</ref>
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By 1900, Paul Cantillon and his wife Marie Troch began a gueuze blending business in the industrial quarter of Cureghem which was part of the southern Brussels community of Anderlecht.  The brewery was located in a very busy area near the Bruxelles-Midi train station, the Mons boulevard, and the canal that ran through the city. Jean-Pierre Van Roy, who wrote the forward to [[Books#La_Gueuze_gourmande|''La Gueuze Gourmande'']], calls the period between 1900 and 1937 the ''"première periode de la brasserie."'' During these first thirty-seven years, Cantillon never actually brewed a beer. Instead, they bought lambic from a variety of producers in the area to blend and sell on their own, considering Cantillon a ''biersteker'' (beer blender) and ''marchand de bières'' (beer merchant). They would house their beers at Gheudestraat 56-58, where the brewery is located today.<ref name=“LaGueuzeGourmande”>Nicole Darchambeau, [[Books#La Gueuze gourmande|La Gueuze gourmande]], 2006</ref>
 
[[File:BrasserieCantillon-12.jpg|thumb|left|Boiler]]
 
[[File:BrasserieCantillon-12.jpg|thumb|left|Boiler]]
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Paul and Marie had four children, two sons named Robert and Marcel, and two daughters named Georgette and Fernande. The early years of Cantillon produced unblended lambic, mars, faro, gueuze, and kriek, and framboise. After the First World War, Paul was ready to expand the business and bring his two sons into the fold. Finally, in 1937 Paul, Robert, and Marcel purchased the Brasserie Nationale du Néblon located in Ouffet which had closed the previous year in 1936. They moved the brewing equipment to its current location and the first batch of Cantillon’s own beer was brewed in 1938 shortly before the brothers were called to mobilize for World War II.<ref name=GeuzeKriek />
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Paul and Marie had four children, two sons named Robert and Marcel, and two daughters named Georgette and Fernande. The early years of Cantillon produced unblended lambic, mars, faro, gueuze, kriek, and framboise. After the First World War, Paul was ready to expand the business and bring his two sons into the fold. In 1937, Paul, Robert, and Marcel purchased the Brasserie Nationale du Néblon, located in Ouffet, which had closed the previous year in 1936. They moved the brewing equipment to its current location and the first batch of Cantillon’s own beer was brewed in 1938 shortly before the brothers were called to mobilize for World War II.<ref name=GeuzeKriek />
  
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During the Second World War, with supplies in demand for the soldiers, it was more difficult to continue to brew beers. The period during the war saw the brewery at a near standstill. The immediate post-war years did not see the same demand and production of beers as the 1930’s had. To make matters worse, a massive heat wave in Belgium destroyed many brewery’s stocks including Cantillon’s. Sometime around 1950 the brewery began to recover and reached an all-time high production in 1955. Paul Cantillon passed away in 1952, while his wife Marie lived until 1958.  Starting in 1960 the demand for traditional gueuze and lambic began to decline once again and Marcel sold his share to Robert and left the business. Robert, too, was on his way out of the brewing business when his only daughter, Claude, married Jean-Pierre Van Roy. By 1969-1972, Van Roy had taken the reins of the brewery.
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During the Second World War, with supplies in demand for the soldiers, it was more difficult to continue to brew beers. The period during the war saw the brewery at a near standstill. The immediate post-war years did not see the same demand and production of beers as the 1930s had. To make matters worse, a massive heat wave in Belgium destroyed many breweries’ stocks including Cantillon’s. Sometime around 1950, the brewery began to recover and reached an all-time high production in 1955. Paul Cantillon passed away in 1952, while his wife Marie lived until 1958.  Starting in 1960, the demand for traditional gueuze and lambic began to decline once again, and Robert sold his share to Marcel and left the business. Marcel, too, was on his way out of the brewing business when his only daughter, Claude, married Jean-Pierre Van Roy. In August 1969, Van Roy had agreed to take the reins of the brewery. From October 1969 until April 1970, Jean-Pierre apprenticed with his father-in-law Marcel Cantillon, learning the trade. <ref name=Trends>Jean-Pierre Van Roy interview, Trends Family Business, November 2017. [http://acties.trends.knack.be/acties/trends/familybusiness/archief/2017-11/portret-1.jsp "Hoeders Van De Traditie."]</ref>
  
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To keep the brewery afloat, Van Roy sweetened his gueuze with artificial sweeteners to keep up with current tastes.  Sadly, this did not help the brewery and it continued to operate at a loss. By 1975 Jean-Pierre began to abandon the artificial sweeteners and stopped the practice altogether by 1978. In 1978 he also decided to create a working exhibit dedicated to the art of lambic brewing. Opening Cantillon to the public allowed them to bring some extra revenue to help balance the books. It also helped to spread the word to both locals and to tourists. <ref name=GeuzeKriek></ref>
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To keep the brewery afloat, Van Roy sweetened his gueuze with artificial sweeteners to keep up with current tastes.  Sadly, this did not help the brewery and it continued to operate at a loss. By 1975, Jean-Pierre began to abandon the artificial sweeteners and stopped the practice altogether by 1978. In 1978, he also decided to create a working exhibit dedicated to the art of lambic brewing. Opening Cantillon to the public allowed the brewery to bring some extra revenue to help balance the books. It also helped to spread the word to both locals and to tourists.<ref name=GeuzeKriek></ref>
  
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Sales began to increase. Jean-Pierre continued to take steps to increase quality control, including discontinuing sales to stores that stored the beer upright. Storing the bottles upright caused the cork to dry out and let all the carbonation out. Jean-Pierre eventually brought his son, Jean, into the business in 1989.  Like his father, who had no formal brewing experience before working at the brewery, Jean Van Roy learned lambic on the job.[[File:BrasserieCantillon-9.jpg|thumb|right|Brewery signage]]   
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Sales began to increase. In 1986, Cantillon began exporting to the United States.<ref name=LambicInfoConvo>Lambic.Info Interview with Jean Van Roy and Jean Pierre Van Roy, May 2015</ref> Jean-Pierre continued to take steps to increase quality control, including discontinuing sales to stores that stored the beer upright. Storing the bottles upright caused the cork to dry out and let all the carbonation out. Jean-Pierre eventually brought his son, Jean, into the business in 1989.  Like his father, who had no formal brewing experience before working at the brewery, Jean Van Roy learned lambic on the job.[[File:BrasserieCantillon-9.jpg|thumb|right|Brewery signage, translated: "''Time does not respect what is done without it.''"]]   
  
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In the years since 1992, the brewery has continued to flourish as one of the most sought-after producers of traditional lambic in Belgium.  Though still involved in the brewery, the elder Van Roy brewed his last official batch in 2009.  Jean Van Roy, who spent a full twenty years working beside his father, now directs the brewery’s operations after having officially taken over in 2003.  Unlike his father before him, who was rooted in the strictest tradition, Jean Van Roy has grown to experiment with a number of small batch lambics and fruits not native to Belgium, like Finnish red currants and Danish bilberries. As of now, the future of the brewery seems to be quite stable with no less than seven grandsons of Jean-Pierre and Claude ready to carry on the Cantillon name. <ref name=“LambicLand”>Tim Webb, Chris Pollard, Siobhan McGinn, [[Books#LambicLand: A Journey Round the Most Unusual Beers in the World|LambicLand: A Journey Round the Most Unusual Beers in the World]], 2010</ref> <ref name=GeuzeKriek></ref>
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In the years since 1992, the brewery has continued to flourish as one of the most sought-after producers of traditional lambic in Belgium.  Though still involved in the brewery, the elder Van Roy brewed his last official batch in 2009.  Jean Van Roy, who spent a full twenty years working beside his father, now directs the brewery’s operations after having officially taken over in 2003.  Unlike his father before him, who was rooted in the strictest tradition, Jean Van Roy has grown to experiment with a number of small batch lambics and fruits not native to Belgium, like Finnish red currants and Danish bilberries. As of now, the future of the brewery seems to be quite stable with no less than seven grandsons of Jean-Pierre and Claude ready to carry on the Cantillon name.<ref name=“LambicLand”>Tim Webb, Chris Pollard, Siobhan McGinn, [[Books#LambicLand: A Journey Round the Most Unusual Beers in the World|LambicLand: A Journey Round the Most Unusual Beers in the World]], 2010</ref><ref name=GeuzeKriek></ref>
  
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In August 2014 Cantillon announced via Facebook that they would be expanding with enough space to double their production. They purchased an adjacent building that once housed a lambic blender, [[Brasserie Limbourg]].  The increase in production will be realized during the 2016-2017 brewing season.
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In August 2014, Cantillon announced via Facebook that they would be expanding with enough space to double their production. They purchased an adjacent building that once housed a lambic blender, [[Brasserie Limbourg]].  The increase in production will be realized during the 2016-2017 brewing season.
  
 
== Underground Cellar ==
 
== Underground Cellar ==
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In 2011, Jean started a long-term lambic aging process in cooperation with the city of Brussels. The city is providing the underground cellaring space free of charge where Cantillon plans to eventually age sixty- to eighty-thousand bottles in long-term storage over twenty years.   
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In 2011, Jean started a long-term lambic aging process in cooperation with the city of Brussels. The city is providing the underground cellaring space free of charge where Cantillon plans to eventually age sixty- to eighty-thousand bottles in long-term storage over twenty years.  He plans to focus primarily on aging Gueuze, Bruocsella Grand Cru, and Lou Pepe Kriek but also try smaller aging initiatives with other Cantillon beers <ref name=LambicInfoConvo>Lambic.Info Interview with Jean Van Roy and Jean Pierre Van Roy, May 2015</ref>
  
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This cellaring project is the largest of it's kind for aging lambic. Chuck Cook at drinkbelgianbeer.com [http://drinkbelgianbeer.com/breweries/cantillons-bomb-shelter-cellar] visited in 2014 and wrote of his experience<ref name=“BombShelter”>Chuck Cook, [http://drinkbelgianbeer.com/about/charles-d-chuck-cook-the-belgian-beer-specialist Cantillon’s Bomb Shelter Cellar], 2014</ref>.
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This cellaring project is the largest of it's kind for aging lambic. Chuck Cook at [http://drinkbelgianbeer.com/breweries/cantillons-bomb-shelter-cellar drinkbelgianbeer.com] visited in 2014 and wrote of his experience.<ref name=“BombShelter”>Chuck Cook, [http://drinkbelgianbeer.com/about/charles-d-chuck-cook-the-belgian-beer-specialist Cantillon’s Bomb Shelter Cellar], 2014</ref>.
  
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==Brewing Process==
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==Production Notes==
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[[File:Cantillon-Koelschip-1.jpg|right|250px]]
 
Cantillon follows traditional [[Brewing Lambic|lambic brewing]] processes, with the following notable facts:
 
Cantillon follows traditional [[Brewing Lambic|lambic brewing]] processes, with the following notable facts:
  
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* Fruit is blended in stainless tanks to allow for larger, more consistent blends and ease of blending and cleaning.
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* Until 1990, Cantillon used a foeder for blending. Since then however, fruit additions and lambic blending is done in stainless tanks to allow for larger, more consistent blends and ease of blending and cleaning.<ref name=LambicInfoConvo>Lambic.Info Interview with Jean Van Roy and Jean Pierre Van Roy, May 2015</ref>
  
 
* The fruit is flash frozen, allowing the beers to be brewed throughout the season using consistent fruit. Previously, because fresh fruit drove the brewing process, Cantillon would potentially have to use older or younger lambic to time the process around the fruit harvest.
 
* The fruit is flash frozen, allowing the beers to be brewed throughout the season using consistent fruit. Previously, because fresh fruit drove the brewing process, Cantillon would potentially have to use older or younger lambic to time the process around the fruit harvest.
  
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* Cantillon uses barrels (primarily wine barrels from France, Italy, and Spain) rather than foeders for aging lambic.<ref name=GeuzeKriek />
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* Cantillon uses pipes (primarily wine barrels from France, Italy, and Spain) rather than foeders for aging lambic.<ref name=GeuzeKriek />
  
 
* Small blends and test batches are done in 20 liter vessels rather than the stainless tanks. Due to the size of these experiments, many of the beers discussed below are not intended for public consumption
 
* Small blends and test batches are done in 20 liter vessels rather than the stainless tanks. Due to the size of these experiments, many of the beers discussed below are not intended for public consumption
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* Late in the season, the 1 year old lambic is closer to 18-20 months old and no longer has enough residual sugar for natural secondary fermentation in the bottle. In those cases, Cantillon will add 2 to 3 grams of liquid saccharose per liter. <ref name=JVRPodcast>[[Brasserie_Cantillon#Podcast|Basic Brewing Radio Podcast, May 30, 2013]]</ref>
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* Cantillon historically sourced hops from large local hop farms in cities such as Asse and Affligem, Belgium. Over time, these farms have shrunk. In the 1970's, Cantillon was sourcing hops from the Yakima Valley in Washington. Currently, most hops come from Germany, however in 2012 and 2013, the hops did not age well and Cantillon is looking to move back to US hops.<ref name=LambicInfoConvo>Lambic.Info Interview with Jean Van Roy and Jean Pierre Van Roy, May 2015</ref>
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* In the 1980s and 1990s, Cantillon often used colored foils to designate the style of beer. Gold or yellow foil indicated gueuze. Red foil was used for kriek. Purple or silver foil was used for framboise.
  
 
== Beers ==
 
== Beers ==
 
=== Gueuze ===
 
=== Gueuze ===
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<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;-webkit-column-count:2">
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<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3">
 
*[[Cantillon Amitié & Joie 40ème Anniversaire Super Gueuze|Amitié & Joie 40ème Anniversaire Super Gueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Amitié & Joie 40ème Anniversaire Super Gueuze|Amitié & Joie 40ème Anniversaire Super Gueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Brabantiae|Brabantiae]]
 
*[[Cantillon Brabantiae|Brabantiae]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Chouke|Chouke]]
 
*[[Cantillon Classic Gueuze 100% Lambic|Classic Gueuze 100% Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Classic Gueuze 100% Lambic|Classic Gueuze 100% Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Crémant de Gueuze|Crémant de Gueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Crémant de Gueuze|Crémant de Gueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Crianza Helena|Crianza Helena]]
 
*[[Cantillon Crianza Helena|Crianza Helena]]
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*[[Cantillon Cuvée De Florian|Cuvée De Florian]]
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*[[Cantillon Cuvée de Florian|Cuvée de Florian]]
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*[[Cantillon Cuvée de l'Espérance|Cuvée de l'Espérance]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du 120eme|Cuvée du 120eme]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du 120eme|Cuvée du 120eme]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du 25eme|Cuvée du 25eme]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du 25eme|Cuvée du 25eme]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée I.P.A. 25 Jaar|Cuvée I.P.A. 25 Jaar]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée I.P.A. 25 Jaar|Cuvée I.P.A. 25 Jaar]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée J. F. Vonck|Cuvée J. F. Vonck]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée J. F. Vonck|Cuvée J. F. Vonck]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du Millénaire|Cuvée du Millénaire]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée U.G.M. Belair Gueuze 1997|Cuvée U.G.M. Belair Gueuze 1997]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée U.G.M. Belair Gueuze 1997|Cuvée U.G.M. Belair Gueuze 1997]]
 
*[[Cantillon Florian Van Roy|Florian Van Roy]]
 
*[[Cantillon Florian Van Roy|Florian Van Roy]]
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*[[Cantillon Goldackerl Gueuze|Goldackerl Gueuze]]
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*[[Cantillon Gouden Voeten Gueuze|Gouden Voeten Gueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Gueuze Lombard BXL-BD Grand Cru|Gueuze Lombard BXL-BD Grand Cru]]
 
*[[Cantillon Gueuze Lombard BXL-BD Grand Cru|Gueuze Lombard BXL-BD Grand Cru]]
 
*[[Cantillon Gueuze Vélomoteur|Gueuze Vélomoteur]]
 
*[[Cantillon Gueuze Vélomoteur|Gueuze Vélomoteur]]
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*[[Cantillon La Gueuze du Poje|La Gueuze du Poje]]
 
*[[Cantillon La Gueuze du Poje|La Gueuze du Poje]]
 
*[[Cantillon La Gueuze et l’Ecaille|La Gueuze et l’Ecaille]]
 
*[[Cantillon La Gueuze et l’Ecaille|La Gueuze et l’Ecaille]]
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*[[Cantillon Lambic d'Haute Densité|Lambic d'Haute Densité]]
 
 
*[[Cantillon La p’tite Louise|La p’tite Louise]]
 
*[[Cantillon La p’tite Louise|La p’tite Louise]]
 
*[[Cantillon Loerik|Loerik (Lazy Gueuze)]]
 
*[[Cantillon Loerik|Loerik (Lazy Gueuze)]]
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*[[Cantillon Moeder Lambic Fontainas Cuvée X Browsel|Moeder Lambic Fontainas Cuvée X Browsel]]
 
*[[Cantillon Monk's Café Cuvée De Monk's Gueuze|Monk's Café Cuvée De Monk's Gueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Monk's Café Cuvée De Monk's Gueuze|Monk's Café Cuvée De Monk's Gueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Super Gueuze|Super Gueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Super Gueuze|Super Gueuze]]
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=== Fruit ===
 
=== Fruit ===
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<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;-webkit-column-count:2">
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<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3">
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*[[Cantillon 20 Ans d'Amitié|20 Ans d'Amitié]]
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*[[Cantillon Amitié et Joie 40ème Anniversaire Kriek|Amitié et Joie 40ème Anniversaire Kriek]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Amitié et Joie 40ème Anniversaire Framboise|Amitié et Joie 40ème Anniversaire Framboise]]
 
*[[Cantillon Aigre de Kriek|Aigre de Kriek]]
 
*[[Cantillon Aigre de Kriek|Aigre de Kriek]]
 
*[[Cantillon Blåbær Lambik|Blåbær Lambik]]
 
*[[Cantillon Blåbær Lambik|Blåbær Lambik]]
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*[[Cantillon Brussels Sprouts Lambic|Brussels Sprouts Lambic]]
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*[[Cantillon Camerise|Camerise Lambic]]
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*[[Cantillon Citoyen du Monde|Citoyen du Monde]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du Cercle Industriel|Cuvée du Cercle Industriel]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du Cercle Industriel|Cuvée du Cercle Industriel]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Florian (Zwanze 2014)|Cuvée Florian]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Florian (Zwanze 2014)|Cuvée Florian]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Moeder|Cuvée Moeder]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Moeder|Cuvée Moeder]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée U.G.M. Belair Kriek 1997]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée U.G.M. Belair Kriek 1997]]
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*[[Cantillon Don Quijote|Don Quijote]]
 
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*[[Cantillon Druivenlambik (Cuvée Neuf Nations)|Druivenlambik (Cuvée Neuf Nations)]]
 
 
*[[Cantillon Feestbier|Feestbier]]
 
*[[Cantillon Feestbier|Feestbier]]
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*[[Cantillon Fou'Foune|Fou'Foune]]
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*[[Cantillon Fou' Foune|Fou' Foune]]
 
*[[Cantillon Framboise|Framboise]]
 
*[[Cantillon Framboise|Framboise]]
 
*[[Cantillon Frambozenlambiek|Frambozenlambiek]]
 
*[[Cantillon Frambozenlambiek|Frambozenlambiek]]
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*[[Cantillon Groseille Lambic|Groseille Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Groseille Lambic|Groseille Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Groseille à Maquereau|Groseille à Maquereau]]
 
*[[Cantillon Groseille à Maquereau|Groseille à Maquereau]]
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*[[Cantillon Gueuzestraminer|Gueuzestraminer]]
+
*[[Cantillon Guy De Wits Fruitkorflambiek|Guy De Wits Fruitkorflambiek]]
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*[[Cantillon Guy De Wit’s Fruitkorflambiek|Guy De Wit’s Fruitkorflambiek]]
 
 
*[[Cantillon Hopduvel 10 jaar Framboos|Hopduvel 10 jaar Framboos]]
 
*[[Cantillon Hopduvel 10 jaar Framboos|Hopduvel 10 jaar Framboos]]
 
*[[Cantillon Hopduvel 10 jaar Kriek|Hopduvel 10 jaar Kriek]]
 
*[[Cantillon Hopduvel 10 jaar Kriek|Hopduvel 10 jaar Kriek]]
 
*[[Cantillon Kersengueuze|Kersengueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Kersengueuze|Kersengueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic|Kriek 100% Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic|Kriek 100% Lambic]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Lambidre Fermier de Bruxelles|Lambidre Fermier de Bruxelles]]
 
*[[Cantillon Lou Pepe - Framboise|Lou Pepe - Framboise]]
 
*[[Cantillon Lou Pepe - Framboise|Lou Pepe - Framboise]]
 
*[[Cantillon Lou Pepe - Kriek|Lou Pepe - Kriek]]
 
*[[Cantillon Lou Pepe - Kriek|Lou Pepe - Kriek]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Magic Lambic|Magic Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Mamouche|Mamouche]]
 
*[[Cantillon Mamouche|Mamouche]]
−
*[[Cantillon Menu Pineau|Menu Pineau]]
 
 
*[[Cantillon Monk's Café Cuvée Kriek|Monk's Café Cuvée Kriek]]
 
*[[Cantillon Monk's Café Cuvée Kriek|Monk's Café Cuvée Kriek]]
 
*[[Cantillon Mozart|Mozart]]
 
*[[Cantillon Mozart|Mozart]]
−
*[[Cantillon Noyaux|Noyaux]]
+
*[[Cantillon Nath|Nath]]
−
*[[Cantillon Pinot d'Aunis|Pinot d'Aunis]]
+
*[[Cantillon Noyau|Noyau]]
 
*[[Cantillon Pure Apricot|Pure Apricot]]
 
*[[Cantillon Pure Apricot|Pure Apricot]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Reine des Prés|Reine des Prés]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Rosé de Gambrinus|Rosé de Gambrinus]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Soleil De Minuit|Soleil De Minuit]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Spuyten Duyvil|Spuyten Duyvil]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Tyrnilambic Baie D’Argousier Lambic|Tyrnilambic Baie D’Argousier Lambic]]
 +
</div>
 +
 +
===Grape Lambic===
 +
Cantillon has, over time, done more lambic and grape experiments than any single fruit. This list has been broken out of the fruited lambic and given its own section to reflect that. It does not include blends of lambic aged in specific wine barrels that have no fruit in them.
 +
 +
<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3">
 +
*[[Cantillon_Drogone_Lambic|Aglianico]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Barbera|Barbera]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Beck-Hartweg|Beck-Hartweg]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Cantina Giardino|Cantina Giardino]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Carignan|Carignan]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Chardonnay|Chardonnay]]
 +
*Chenin Blanc
 +
*[[Cantillon CLAC (Trois Cépages)|CLAC (Trois Cépages)]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Moeder 10 Ans - Cab Franc]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Divin Lambic|Divin Lambic]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Don Quijote|Don Quijote]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Drogone Lambic|Drogone Lambic]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Druivenlambik (Cuvée Neuf Nations)|Druivenlambik (Cuvée Neuf Nations)]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Goldackerl Gueuze|Goldackerl Gueuze]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Goldackerl Lambic|Goldackerl Lambic]]
 +
*Grenache Blanc
 +
*[[Cantillon Gueuzestraminer|Gueuzestraminer]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Lambic d'Aunis|Lambic d'Aunis]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Le Plaisir|Le Plaisir]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Menu Pineau|Menu Pineau]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Mourvèdre-Carignan|Mourvèdre-Carignan]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Muscat Petits Grains|Muscat Petits Grains]]
 +
*Nuit Bruxelloise
 +
*[[Cantillon Lambic d'Aunis|Pinot (Pineau) d'Aunis]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Piacere|Piacere]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Pinot Meunier|Pinot Meunier]]
 +
*Poulsard
 +
*[[Cantillon Racine|Racine]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Racine sur Lie|Racine sur Lie]]
 
*[[Cantillon Riesling Blend|Riesling Blend]]
 
*[[Cantillon Riesling Blend|Riesling Blend]]
−
*[[Cantillon Rosé De Gambrinus|Rosé De Gambrinus]]
 
 
*[[Cantillon Reed Gueuze Muscat|Reed Gueuze Muscat]]
 
*[[Cantillon Reed Gueuze Muscat|Reed Gueuze Muscat]]
 
*[[Cantillon Reed Gueuze Pinot Noir|Reed Gueuze Pinot Noir]]
 
*[[Cantillon Reed Gueuze Pinot Noir|Reed Gueuze Pinot Noir]]
 
*[[Cantillon Saint Lamvinus|Saint Lamvinus]]
 
*[[Cantillon Saint Lamvinus|Saint Lamvinus]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Saint Lamvinus Grand Cru|Saint Lamvinus Grand Cru]]
 
*[[Cantillon Saint Lamvinus Unblended|Saint Lamvinus Unblended]]
 
*[[Cantillon Saint Lamvinus Unblended|Saint Lamvinus Unblended]]
−
*[[Cantillon Soleil De Minuit|Soleil De Minuit]]
+
*[[Cantillon Scarabee|Scarabee]]
−
*[[Cantillon Spuyten Duyvil|Spuyten Duyvil]]
+
*[[Cantillon Signorina|Signorina]]
−
*[[Cantillon Tyrnilambic Baie D’Argousier Lambic|Tyrnilambic Baie D’Argousier Lambic]]
+
*[[Cantillon Sophia Lambic|Sophia Lambic]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Trousseau|Trousseau]]
 
*[[Cantillon Vigneronne|Vigneronne]]
 
*[[Cantillon Vigneronne|Vigneronne]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Vin Santo|Vin Santo]]
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
=== Jeune Lambic ===
 
=== Jeune Lambic ===
−
*[[Cantillon Jonge Lambic|Jonge Lambic]]
+
*[[Cantillon Jeune Lambic|Jeune Lambic]]
−
*[[Cantillon Jonge Lambic Cascade|Jonge Lambic Cascade]]
+
*[[Cantillon Jeune Lambic Cascade|Jeune Lambic Cascade]]
  
 
=== Vieux Lambic ===
 
=== Vieux Lambic ===
−
<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;-webkit-column-count:2">
+
<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3">
 
*[[Cantillon 50 Degrees North - 4 Degrees East|50 Degrees North - 4 Degrees East]]
 
*[[Cantillon 50 Degrees North - 4 Degrees East|50 Degrees North - 4 Degrees East]]
 
*[[Cantillon Amarillo Lambic|Amarillo Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Amarillo Lambic|Amarillo Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Amphora Lambic|Amphora Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Amphora Lambic|Amphora Lambic]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Asperule Odorante|Asperule Odorante]]
 
*[[Cantillon Assemblage de l'Amitié (Wild Friendship Blend)|Assemblage de l'Amitié (Wild Friendship Blend)]]
 
*[[Cantillon Assemblage de l'Amitié (Wild Friendship Blend)|Assemblage de l'Amitié (Wild Friendship Blend)]]
 
*[[Cantillon Bière du Dragon|Bière du Dragon]]
 
*[[Cantillon Bière du Dragon|Bière du Dragon]]
 +
*[[Cantillon BLIPA|BLIPA]]
 
*[[Cantillon Bourgogne Lambic|Bourgogne Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Bourgogne Lambic|Bourgogne Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cognac Lambic|Cognac Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cognac Lambic|Cognac Lambic]]
Line 151: Line 209:
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Bonheur des Petits Loups|Cuvée Bonheur des Petits Loups]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Bonheur des Petits Loups|Cuvée Bonheur des Petits Loups]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Des Champions|Cuvée Des Champions]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Des Champions|Cuvée Des Champions]]
−
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du Millénaire|Cuvée du Millénaire]]
 
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du Petit Oiseau|Cuvée du Petit Oiseau]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée du Petit Oiseau|Cuvée du Petit Oiseau]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Kuaska|Cuvée Kuaska]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Roxane et Charlotte|Cuvée Roxane et Charlotte]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Roxane et Charlotte|Cuvée Roxane et Charlotte]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Saint Gilloise|Cuvée Saint Gilloise]]
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Saint Gilloise|Cuvée Saint Gilloise]]
 
*[[Cantillon Geif Coroge|Geif Coroge]]
 
*[[Cantillon Geif Coroge|Geif Coroge]]
−
*[[Cantillon Goldackerl Lambic|Goldackerl Lambic]]
 
 
*[[Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella|Grand Cru Bruocsella]]
 
*[[Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella|Grand Cru Bruocsella]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella Brut|Grand Cru Bruocsella Brut]]
 
*[[Cantillon Het Bier Gevaar|Het Bier Gevaar]]
 
*[[Cantillon Het Bier Gevaar|Het Bier Gevaar]]
 
*[[Cantillon Hoeve Lambic Fermier|Hoeve Lambic Fermier]]
 
*[[Cantillon Hoeve Lambic Fermier|Hoeve Lambic Fermier]]
Line 164: Line 222:
 
*[[Cantillon Klara Festival|Klara Festival]]
 
*[[Cantillon Klara Festival|Klara Festival]]
 
*[[Cantillon La Dernière Cuvée Du 89|La Dernière Cuvée Du 89]]
 
*[[Cantillon La Dernière Cuvée Du 89|La Dernière Cuvée Du 89]]
−
*[[Cantillon Lambidre Fermier de Bruxelles|Lambidre Fermier de Bruxelles]]
+
*[[Cantillon Lambic d'Haute Densité|Lambic d'Haute Densité]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Lambic Vin Jaune|Lambic Vin Jaune]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Lambic Vin Jaune|La Vie est Belge]]
 +
*[[Cantillon_Lambic_Vin_Jaune|La Vie est Solidaire]]
 +
*[[Cantillon LH12|LH12]]
 
*[[Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze|Lou Pepe Gueuze]]
 
*[[Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze|Lou Pepe Gueuze]]
−
*[[Cantillon LH12|LH12]]
+
*[[Cantillon Pikkulinnun Viskilambic|Pikkulinnun Viskilambic]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Lambic Vin Jaune|Symbiose]]
 +
*[[Cantillon Super Blend|Cantillon Super Blend - Akkurat 20th Anniversary]]  
 
*[[Cantillon Vieux Lambic|Vieux Lambic]]
 
*[[Cantillon Vieux Lambic|Vieux Lambic]]
−
*[[Cantillon Pikkulinnun Viskilambic|Pikkulinnun Viskilambic]]
+
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
Line 183: Line 247:
 
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2013|Zwanze 2013]] (Spontaneous Abbey)
 
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2013|Zwanze 2013]] (Spontaneous Abbey)
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Florian (Zwanze 2014)|Zwanze 2014]] (Cuvée Florian - Dry Hopped Iris Grand Cru with Cherries)
 
*[[Cantillon Cuvée Florian (Zwanze 2014)|Zwanze 2014]] (Cuvée Florian - Dry Hopped Iris Grand Cru with Cherries)
 +
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2015|Zwanze 2015]] (Wild Brussels Stout - Spontaneous Fermentation Stout)
 +
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2016|Zwanze 2016]] (Framboise lambic with blueberry and vanilla)
 +
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2017|Zwanze 2017]] (Oolong Tea Lambic)
 +
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2018|Zwanze 2018]] (Italian wine barrel lambic)
 +
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2019|Zwanze 2019]] (Smoked lambic)
 +
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2020|Zwanze 2020]] ("Brettrave" - Beetroot lambic)
 +
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2021|Zwanze 2021]] ("Parasol" - Orange lambic)
 +
*[[Cantillon Zwanze 2022|Zwanze 2022]] ("Poivre des Gorilles" - black pepper lambic)
  
 
== Breweriana ==
 
== Breweriana ==
Line 192: Line 264:
 
== Photos ==
 
== Photos ==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 +
File:Cantillon-Brewery-1.jpg
 +
File:Cantillon-Brewery-3.jpg
 +
File:Cantillon-Brewery-2.jpg
 +
File:BrasserieCantillon-19.jpg
 +
File:Cantillon-Brewing-1.jpg
 +
File:Cantillon-Brewing-2.jpg
 +
File:Cantillon-Counter-1.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-2.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-2.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-3.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-3.jpg
Line 206: Line 285:
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-16.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-16.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-17.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-17.jpg
−
File:BrasserieCantillon-19.jpg
 
−
File:BrasserieCantillon-20.jpg
 
−
File:BrasserieCantillon-21.jpg
 
−
File:BrasserieCantillon-22.jpg
 
−
File:BrasserieCantillon-23.jpg
 
−
File:BrasserieCantillon-24.jpg
 
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-25.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-25.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-26.jpg
 
File:BrasserieCantillon-26.jpg
−
File:BrasserieCantillon-29.jpg
+
File:Cantillon-Bottling-Line-1.jpg
 +
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
 
==Podcast==
 
==Podcast==
−
Basic Brewing Radio [http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=basic-brewing-radio-2013 Podcast] with Jean Van Roy, 2013
+
Basic Brewing Radio [http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=basic-brewing-radio-2013 May 30, 2013 Podcast] with Jean Van Roy
  
 
<mp3player>http://traffic.libsyn.com/basicbrewing/bbr05-30-13cantillon.mp3</mp3player>
 
<mp3player>http://traffic.libsyn.com/basicbrewing/bbr05-30-13cantillon.mp3</mp3player>
 +
 +
The Sour Hour [http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/the-sour-hour-episode-11/ May 7, 2015 Podcast] with Rob and Jason from Allagash, Jean from Cantillon, and Vinnie from Russian River
 +
 +
<mp3player>http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/membersarchive/sourhour2015_05_wildfriendship.mp3</mp3player>
 +
 +
Belgian Smaak [http://www.belgiansmaak.com/jean-van-roy-brasserie-cantillon/ August 31, 2017 Podcast] with Jean Van Roy
 +
 +
<mp3player>http://media.blubrry.com/belgiansmaak/p/traffic.libsyn.com/belgiansmaak/EP009.mp3</mp3player>
 +
 +
Radio Vino [https://www.radiovino.fr/lyon-biere-festival-5/ April 2022 Podcast] with Jean Van Roy (French)
 +
 +
<mp3player>https://cf-media.sndcdn.com/VW16wd4c6eMw.128.mp3?Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOlt7IlJlc291cmNlIjoiKjovL2NmLW1lZGlhLnNuZGNkbi5jb20vVlcxNndkNGM2ZU13LjEyOC5tcDMqIiwiQ29uZGl0aW9uIjp7IkRhdGVMZXNzVGhhbiI6eyJBV1M6RXBvY2hUaW1lIjoxNjQ5NjgwMzc2fX19XX0_&Signature=FT9VaTCbAFnffhE8YWDWNKjZmrIu79TxQu10~lIoFY5JAItR7KKzIg-Wg7EJs1FMUpDx56TDvNm-PpeJsmomPFrIS8OxxfqAKTYpKOet-DxLKywgUbRLATWjZmNBqFZLJqvGQa8BLvrwN5cGfOzYrYuVWHipDcc32lJnCPuOCWqJ9StnmXB86VbgJF2nG2irGji2Ndqc1YzWjk93gBQPqeRhHUm~~VF98ZU3ewTWRgLuwuadDgwkRE3cPjYIK8fcZbPF4USwyy2rfDEkgJnFY97I5t6~gfauUnFDolymrQgn4Zc1GMKPP0XJKOI8EP1IzBEQDlK2jpZ-UPRURnixVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAI6TU7MMXM5DG6EPQ</mp3player>
  
 
== Videos ==
 
== Videos ==

Latest revision as of 13:22, 16 March 2023

Website (French, Dutch, English): http://www.cantillon.be
Brasserie Cantillon

Phone: +32 2 521.49.28

Address: 56 rue Gheude, B-1070 Brussels

Overview

Cantillon is the only traditional lambic brewery located within the city of Brussels. Founded in 1900, today Cantillon operates both as a brewery and as a living museum, the Brussels Gueuze Museum (Musée bruxellois de la gueuze). Cantillon uses 100% organic grains and hops in all of its beers. Cantillon brews traditional lambic products, using 65% malted barley and 35% unmalted wheat. Cantillon's beers are spontaneously fermented using a large coolship in the attic of the brewery and fermented in oak barrels. The brewery's flagship products, which are discussed further below, include:
Wall of Gueuze at Cantillon

In addition to these beers, Cantillon brews a variety of beers for special occasions and experimental releases. The brewery hosts Zwanze Day, Quintessence, and Cantillon Public Brewing Sessions. Cantillon also participates in the Weekend of Spontaneous Fermentation, the Night of the Great Thirst, and a variety of other festivals worldwide.

History

The roots of Brasserie Cantillon stretch back even further than the brewery’s officially recognized founding date of 1900. According to Van den Steen in Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer, the forefather of the Cantillon brewing family was a grain merchant named Auguste whose son, Paul, had no intention of continuing his father’s craft. Auguste then began to search for a business that would suit his son’s brewing hobby. Since starting a brewery was too expensive, Auguste made several attempts to take over breweries in the Lembeek area. By 1894, Auguste had bought the Vandezande-Van Roy brewery located in Lembeek’s Hondzocht district, which was active until 1925 as Cantillon Fréres.[1]

By 1900, Paul Cantillon and his wife Marie Troch began a gueuze blending business in the industrial quarter of Cureghem which was part of the southern Brussels community of Anderlecht. The brewery was located in a very busy area near the Bruxelles-Midi train station, the Mons boulevard, and the canal that ran through the city. Jean-Pierre Van Roy, who wrote the forward to La Gueuze Gourmande, calls the period between 1900 and 1937 the "première periode de la brasserie." During these first thirty-seven years, Cantillon never actually brewed a beer. Instead, they bought lambic from a variety of producers in the area to blend and sell on their own, considering Cantillon a biersteker (beer blender) and marchand de bières (beer merchant). They would house their beers at Gheudestraat 56-58, where the brewery is located today.[2]

Boiler

Paul and Marie had four children, two sons named Robert and Marcel, and two daughters named Georgette and Fernande. The early years of Cantillon produced unblended lambic, mars, faro, gueuze, kriek, and framboise. After the First World War, Paul was ready to expand the business and bring his two sons into the fold. In 1937, Paul, Robert, and Marcel purchased the Brasserie Nationale du Néblon, located in Ouffet, which had closed the previous year in 1936. They moved the brewing equipment to its current location and the first batch of Cantillon’s own beer was brewed in 1938 shortly before the brothers were called to mobilize for World War II.[1]

During the Second World War, with supplies in demand for the soldiers, it was more difficult to continue to brew beers. The period during the war saw the brewery at a near standstill. The immediate post-war years did not see the same demand and production of beers as the 1930s had. To make matters worse, a massive heat wave in Belgium destroyed many breweries’ stocks including Cantillon’s. Sometime around 1950, the brewery began to recover and reached an all-time high production in 1955. Paul Cantillon passed away in 1952, while his wife Marie lived until 1958. Starting in 1960, the demand for traditional gueuze and lambic began to decline once again, and Robert sold his share to Marcel and left the business. Marcel, too, was on his way out of the brewing business when his only daughter, Claude, married Jean-Pierre Van Roy. In August 1969, Van Roy had agreed to take the reins of the brewery. From October 1969 until April 1970, Jean-Pierre apprenticed with his father-in-law Marcel Cantillon, learning the trade. [3]

To keep the brewery afloat, Van Roy sweetened his gueuze with artificial sweeteners to keep up with current tastes. Sadly, this did not help the brewery and it continued to operate at a loss. By 1975, Jean-Pierre began to abandon the artificial sweeteners and stopped the practice altogether by 1978. In 1978, he also decided to create a working exhibit dedicated to the art of lambic brewing. Opening Cantillon to the public allowed the brewery to bring some extra revenue to help balance the books. It also helped to spread the word to both locals and to tourists.[1]

Sales began to increase. In 1986, Cantillon began exporting to the United States.[4] Jean-Pierre continued to take steps to increase quality control, including discontinuing sales to stores that stored the beer upright. Storing the bottles upright caused the cork to dry out and let all the carbonation out. Jean-Pierre eventually brought his son, Jean, into the business in 1989. Like his father, who had no formal brewing experience before working at the brewery, Jean Van Roy learned lambic on the job.
Brewery signage, translated: "Time does not respect what is done without it."

In the years since 1992, the brewery has continued to flourish as one of the most sought-after producers of traditional lambic in Belgium. Though still involved in the brewery, the elder Van Roy brewed his last official batch in 2009. Jean Van Roy, who spent a full twenty years working beside his father, now directs the brewery’s operations after having officially taken over in 2003. Unlike his father before him, who was rooted in the strictest tradition, Jean Van Roy has grown to experiment with a number of small batch lambics and fruits not native to Belgium, like Finnish red currants and Danish bilberries. As of now, the future of the brewery seems to be quite stable with no less than seven grandsons of Jean-Pierre and Claude ready to carry on the Cantillon name.[5][1]

In August 2014, Cantillon announced via Facebook that they would be expanding with enough space to double their production. They purchased an adjacent building that once housed a lambic blender, Brasserie Limbourg. The increase in production will be realized during the 2016-2017 brewing season.

Underground Cellar

In 2011, Jean started a long-term lambic aging process in cooperation with the city of Brussels. The city is providing the underground cellaring space free of charge where Cantillon plans to eventually age sixty- to eighty-thousand bottles in long-term storage over twenty years. He plans to focus primarily on aging Gueuze, Bruocsella Grand Cru, and Lou Pepe Kriek but also try smaller aging initiatives with other Cantillon beers [4]

This cellaring project is the largest of it's kind for aging lambic. Chuck Cook at drinkbelgianbeer.com visited in 2014 and wrote of his experience.[6].

Production Notes

Cantillon-Koelschip-1.jpg

Cantillon follows traditional lambic brewing processes, with the following notable facts:

  • Until 1990, Cantillon used a foeder for blending. Since then however, fruit additions and lambic blending is done in stainless tanks to allow for larger, more consistent blends and ease of blending and cleaning.[4]
  • The fruit is flash frozen, allowing the beers to be brewed throughout the season using consistent fruit. Previously, because fresh fruit drove the brewing process, Cantillon would potentially have to use older or younger lambic to time the process around the fruit harvest.
  • Cantillon uses pipes (primarily wine barrels from France, Italy, and Spain) rather than foeders for aging lambic.[1]
  • Small blends and test batches are done in 20 liter vessels rather than the stainless tanks. Due to the size of these experiments, many of the beers discussed below are not intended for public consumption
  • Late in the season, the 1 year old lambic is closer to 18-20 months old and no longer has enough residual sugar for natural secondary fermentation in the bottle. In those cases, Cantillon will add 2 to 3 grams of liquid saccharose per liter. [7]
  • Cantillon historically sourced hops from large local hop farms in cities such as Asse and Affligem, Belgium. Over time, these farms have shrunk. In the 1970's, Cantillon was sourcing hops from the Yakima Valley in Washington. Currently, most hops come from Germany, however in 2012 and 2013, the hops did not age well and Cantillon is looking to move back to US hops.[4]
  • In the 1980s and 1990s, Cantillon often used colored foils to designate the style of beer. Gold or yellow foil indicated gueuze. Red foil was used for kriek. Purple or silver foil was used for framboise.

Beers

Gueuze

Faro

Fruit

Grape Lambic

Cantillon has, over time, done more lambic and grape experiments than any single fruit. This list has been broken out of the fruited lambic and given its own section to reflect that. It does not include blends of lambic aged in specific wine barrels that have no fruit in them.

Jeune Lambic

Vieux Lambic

Cantillon Zwanze Day

Main article: Cantillon Zwanze Day
Since 2008, Cantillon has released a special beer known as Zwanze. The beer itself is usually an experimental beer that may or may not be brewed again. Since 2011, there has been a coordinated celebration around the world to introduce this beer.

Zwanze Series

Breweriana

Photos

  • Cantillon-Brewery-1.jpg
  • Cantillon-Brewery-3.jpg
  • Cantillon-Brewery-2.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-19.jpg
  • Cantillon-Brewing-1.jpg
  • Cantillon-Brewing-2.jpg
  • Cantillon-Counter-1.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-2.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-3.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-4.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-5.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-6.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-7.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-8.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-10.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-11.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-13.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-14.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-15.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-16.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-17.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-25.jpg
  • BrasserieCantillon-26.jpg
  • Cantillon-Bottling-Line-1.jpg

Podcast

Basic Brewing Radio May 30, 2013 Podcast with Jean Van Roy

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The Sour Hour May 7, 2015 Podcast with Rob and Jason from Allagash, Jean from Cantillon, and Vinnie from Russian River

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Belgian Smaak August 31, 2017 Podcast with Jean Van Roy

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Radio Vino April 2022 Podcast with Jean Van Roy (French)

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Videos

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Jef Van den Steen, Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer, 2012
  2. ↑ Nicole Darchambeau, La Gueuze gourmande, 2006
  3. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Lambic.Info Interview with Jean Van Roy and Jean Pierre Van Roy, May 2015
  4. ↑ Tim Webb, Chris Pollard, Siobhan McGinn, LambicLand: A Journey Round the Most Unusual Beers in the World, 2010
  5. ↑ Chuck Cook, Cantillon’s Bomb Shelter Cellar, 2014
  6. ↑ Basic Brewing Radio Podcast, May 30, 2013
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