HORAL

Overview

HORAL,an acronym for Hoge Raad voor Ambachtelijke Lambikbieren (High Council for Traditional Lambic Beers) is a consortium of lambic brewers and blenders that works together to promote lambic beers, brewing, and culture in Belgium. Their stated goals are "to promote the craft lambic beers and related products, paying attention to the entire process of brewing to serving lambic; denouncing irregularities concerning artisanal lambic beers and related products; take steps to protect the traditional lambic beers and related products. HORAL has worked to obtain and maintain current European Protections on traditional lambic beers.

Members

The board members of HORAL mainly consist of brewers and blenders along with other non-brewers.

• Armand Debelder, 3 Fonteinen, chairman
• Frank Boon, Boon
• Gert Christiaens, Oud Beersel
• Joost De Four, De Heeren van Liedekercke, treasurer
• Wim De Kelver, De Lambiekstoempers, secretary
• Paul Girardin, Girardin
• Karel Goddeau, De Cam
• Dirk Lindemans, Lindemans
• Johan Madalijns, De Lambiekstoempers
• John Matthijs, Hanssens
• Yves Panneels, The Gueuze Society, PR & communication
• Pauwel Raes, De Troch
• Bruno Reinders, Mort Subite
• Pierre Tilquin, Tilquin
• Jacques Van Cutsem, Timmermans

History

In January of 1997, at the insistence of 3 Fonteinen's Armand Debelder HORAL formally established themselves with its original members: 3 Fonteinen, Boon, De Cam (then owned by Willem Van Herreweghen), De Troch, Lindemans, and Timmermans. The impetus to creating the group, to promote and protect lambic beers in the face of continued decline, drove the HORAL members to organize the first Toer de Geuze on October 19, 1997.