Category: news

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Visit to Mouterij Dingemans Malting Factory

Last week I had the privilege to get an extended guided tour at Malting Factory Dingemans in Stabroek, Antwerpen. Since 1875, the Dingemans family has been producing an extensive range of quality ingredients for the demanding Belgian and European brewers. Currently the fifth generation of the Dingemans family, Jan and Karl, are running the company.

Malts are one of the main ingredients of beer and no beer brewer can work without them. Long ago malting grains was part of the farmers’ activities, but through the ages malting became a specialized business. This year is the 150th anniversary for Dingemans and they are one of the main suppliers of malts to our beloved Belgian brewers.

Malting factories buy in the grains (like barley and wheat, but many other grains will work too) and make them ready for brewing. This process involves the germination of the grains in order to bring out the enzymes and starches inside. Those starches will later change in the sugars needed for fermentation. After the germination the malts will be kilned and/ or roasted to make different varieties. Anyone that has ever done a good brewery tour will have heard about malting and how important this is.

The tour at Dingemans was extensive and as brewery guides we got to ask a lot of questions and learned many things about malting. What really surprised me is how extensive the research and preparation before the malting are. Dingemans, for instance, monitors the weather patterns during the growing season in the grain regions all over Europe. If a region has had a lot of rain just before harvesting they already know the grain is not suitable for malting. Wet grain may easily get fungi and mold causes gushing in beers. So they will switch to grains from other regions. Another dazzling fact was that samples of all the grains that come in, are tested to be sure they will actually respond to the malting process, but also to check they have the right parameters to ensure a good quality beer, like viscosity, filtration speed, protein levels and gushing risks.

Good quality beers don’t just happen. First of all brewers need to know their job well, but it also is every step on the way to the brewery that matters , including the road the main ingredients have taken.

View my photos and videos of the visit here

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSQajPEDPNI/?img_index=11

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoppinessBrussels

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Hoppiness Gift vouchers & Gift Baskets

New options at Hoppiness Brussels!

Order a custom made gift basket or a gift voucher for our tastings.

Option 1: 

Gift voucher. choose your own amount, starting from 20 euro

All gift vouchers are valid for 1 year after purchase

Option 2:

Hoppiness Gift Basket including a 25 euro gift voucher 

Included are at least 5 craft beers & several tasty extra’s and a 25 euro voucher that can be used for our tastings

Option 3:

Hoppiness Gift Basket for 2persons, including a 50 euro gift voucher 

Included are at least 5 craft beers & several tasty extra’s and a 50 euro voucher that can be used for our tastings

Option 4:

Gift basket made by Hoppiness Brussels
Craft beers plus several tasty extra’s. 
25 euro (6 beers)
35 euro (8 beers)
45 euro (10 beers)

More information and quick orders are possible on Billetweb. Of course you can also email us and (custom) order like that!

Gift baskets have to be picked up by appointment at our tasting room. 

For larger orders / company deliveries, please contact us by email.

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BLACK FRIDAY DEAL

BLACK FRIDAY DEAL – book a beer tastings on Friday November 28!

Book this beer tasting experience for only 15 euro per person!

Instead of shopping that day, you can just relax and enjoy some tasty beers!

Want to learn more about Belgian beers, Belgian breweries and Belgian beer culture? Join our classic beer tasting for a tasty introduction! 

You will taste four different beers in four different beer styles. With each beer you’ll get a delicious food pairing (think cheese/ chocolate etc.)

During the tasting experienced local beer sommelier Carien will tell you more about the Belgian beer scene. 

Book here: https://www.billetweb.fr/beer-tasting-brussels

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Open Brewery days at Westmalle Trappist

Last week I visited the open brewery days at Westmalle Trappist. It was a well organised event with a parcourse throughout the whole place. Lots of info on the history, but also on the brewing method and the ingredients. For instance:

Did you know their beers are brewed with the whole hopflower and not with pellets?

The Art Deco copper brewing system from the twenties was amazing to see, as well as the huge new brewing room.

I also spotted some barrels of fresh yeast, ready to be picked up by the Trappist brothers of West-Vleteren. Did you know they pick up fresh yeast at Westmalle before every brew?

It was great to look around and see how it all works for them. At the end there was an enjoyable tasting with their homemade cheeses. Yum!

More pics and video on Insta or Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPMj6m3jA_b/?img_index=1

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Heritage Days Brussels 20/21 september

Heritage days /Journées du Patrimoine/ Open Monumentendagen

20 & 21 SEPT. 2025

Exciting news! Hoppiness Brussels will participate in the Heritage Days this year!

ART DECO, Roaring Twenties, Crash Years

For this 37th edition, Urban will show this artistic movement from a new perspective, as part of the 2025 Art Deco Year. We will not only delve into the movement’s well-known aesthetics and luxury, but also explore its urban, architectural, sociological, and human dimensions.

Under the theme ART DECO – Roaring Twenties, Crash Years, the event will highlight a wide spectrum of heritage: from buildings, façades, and interiors to furniture, collections, intangible heritage, and public spaces.

Hoppiness Brussels and Hoppyz have together worked out a workshop and presentation that will be hosted in both our tasting rooms. Hoppiness in Jette (NL / ENG) en Hoppyz in Forest (FR/ENG).

The subject will be:

How the Interwar Period Shaped Belgian Beer Culture

The events of the period between the two world wars had a big influence on daily life and on the Belgian Beer culture. From the roaring twenties to the popular World Exhibitions, from the American prohibition to the Great Depression: breweries were impacted immensely and had to adjust.
Local beer experts Helene and Carien will be your hosts during these special workshops at their tasting rooms and take the participants through the changes of this time and the impact on Belgian beer culture. You will learn about a few beer styles that were popular then and see what happened to those styles and to the Belgian of those times.

You can sign up in September on the website of Heritage days. Limited spots so mark your calendars!

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Our new T-shirt!

Price: 25 euro

Email us to order one in your size ( mens/ladies) and we will include free delivery in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Or join us end of August for our XL beer tasting!

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Interview with Beer Idiots

Beer Idiots came to visit my tasting room and asked a lot questions about me & my business Hoppiness Brussels
Thanks so much for coming Ahmed! And sorry about being a little camera shy; I can talk about beer for hours, but when there is a camera in my face it suddenly seems harder to find my words 🙂

Find the interview here on youtube:

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Women’s International Trophy Mainz

Last week I was in Mainz for the Women’s International Trophy. The Women’s International Trophy is a unique event in Germany and a top-level tasting: wines, beers, and spirits from all over the world are tasted by an international jury made up entirely of women. All the tasters, sommeliers, oenologists, etc. are experts in the field. It was great to be part of this event again and taste so many excellent beers!

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Belgian Beer World – discountcode

Did you know that the Bourse building in the centre of Brussels (the former stock exchange) is built on top of the remains of a 13th century convent? The bourse building was recently completely restored and inside you can find a beautiful walk way, a café, restaurant and Belgian Beer World, an interactive museum experience about beer.

A ticket to Belgian Beer World will also include entry to Bruxella 1238, the museum underneath the building. Inside is allegedly the tomb of Duke John 1st of Brabant, known as Gambrinus, the legendary king of beer.
We have a collaboration with the museum and you will get 10% discount on tickets bought online using the code: HOPPINESS10

It’s also possible to hire me as a guide for your visit of Belgian Beer World. (ENG/NL). You can contact me directly by email for this or contact BBW for a package deal and ask for me.

discount Belgian Beer World