Bring your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues and join Carien for a cozy *Winter Beer* tasting. When the cold, dark weather starts, specialty winter beers will lift your spirit.
Enjoy a special afternoon or evening in a the cozy Hoppiness tasting room. You’ll get four winter beers with a delicious food pairing each.
As always, local beer sommelier Carien will tell you stories about the beers, the brewers and many other beer related fun facts.
Our dates are quite flexible, so please contact us if you want to join this tasting on a different date. It’s also available for private groups, just email me with your preferred date and time. And… we can also come to your Brussels office and host this tasting in your meeting room!
Last week I visited the open brewery days at WestmalleTrappist. 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!
Last weekend the Heritage Days were taking place and especially for this year’s theme Hoppiness hosted eight workshops about the influence of the interwar years and Art Deco on Belgian Beer Culture. I prepared this workshop together with my colleague Helene from Hoppyz. She did the same workshop in French and English at her house, while I hosted in Dutch and English.
What a pleasure it was to dive into our history and taste three beer styles from those years with so many visitors on both Saturday and Sunday.
We tasted:
– Fresh 20 month old lambic straight from the barrel from Brasserie Cantillon, Brussels oldest brewery.
– Silly Scotch brewed for the first time in 1918 from Brasserie de Silly, who celebrated their 175th anniversary the same weekend.
– Palm Speciale brewed first in 1929 by Brouwerij Palm, in the speciale belge style that was brought to live by Belgian brewers at the beginning of the 20th century to compete with foreign ales.
A big thank you to Urban Brussels for organising this beautiful weekend and to all those lovely people that joined!
Have a look inside the impressive Maison des Brasseurs on the Grand Place of Brussels (build in 1698)!
Tour & Tasting at Maison des Brasseurs
Included in your ticket:
– Guided tour of the Brewers house
– 3 beer tasters
– Visit of the museum of the Belgian Brewers
– Expert guidance by local beer sommelier Carien.
Don’t miss out on this special opportunity!
Meeting point: in front of Maison des Brasseurs at Grand Place nr 10 a few minutes before we start. Carien will be there, wearing a green Hoppiness T-shirt.
Hoppiness will start with beer tastings for individuals!
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 beer 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.
Alcoholfree tickets available for the same experience without alcohol!
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.
Hoppiness is all about good craft beer and having a good time. Brussels and Belgium have amazing breweries and we’d like to share our best beer discoveries with you so you can experience Belgian beer culture in the best way possible.
Pinard de Bruxelles (7.5%) brewed and aged by BBP Dansaert (Brussels), bottled in March 2021. Beer made with Mourvedre grape must from the Languedoc and then aged in oak barrels from Bordeaux, Moscatel and Chardonnay.
Five years in a bottle and wow, what a nice beer blend! Wild yeast of course in both aroma and taste, also a mild and well rounded acidity with notes of grapes, a hint of fortified wine even, notes of prunes, spices and wood as well. YUM!😊
🍻 Happy International Beer Day!🍻
*******
Today we celebrate beer, breweries & pubs. Cheers to all the people around the world making and serving beer and keeping our lovely beer culture alive!
A special cheers to everyone who follows me and to everyone who has ever shared a beer with me. Because the best beer is a shared beer!
The amazing T-shirt design is from @clockworkbrewhouse 🤩
Moose Hammer hazy pale ale (5.5%) brewed by Woodstock Brewery in Cape Town (South Africa)
Lots of hoppy fruitiness in this thirst quenching ale; mango, peach and tangerine coming nicely together. Very easy drinking and comes with a warning on the can: you might get as hammered as a moose🫎…
Zero Pression (0.4%) alcohol-free beer brewed by Brasserie Caulier in Peruwelz (Belgium).
This alcohol free ale is tasty and refreshing, it has a fruity aroma and a good bitter body with notes of grapefruit and orange and a nice lasting aftertaste. 👍
Wimbledon you were amazing! 🤩
A big thank you to @hoptimalt.be for the opportunity. Last month I worked at this majestic tennis tournament for the first time and I really enjoyed it. Such a friendly atmosphere!
Working as a draught master for Stella Artois was great and it was lovely to be part of the launch of the Stella Strawberries & Cream lager.
A big thank you to the whole team, my amazing colleagues:
@hoppyz.zythologie
@julie.andremodera
@hoptimalt.be
@dams.bar
@mattlezytho
@babelbeer.be
Always good! A vegetarian spaghetti with Orval cheese on top together with a freshly tapped Bloemekei IPA at Billie (or as I keep saying … De Monk)😅
Cheers!
Duivelsbier Wild (6.3%) brewed by Brouwerij Boon in Lembeek (Belgium)
‘Lead us into temptation!’ This beer from Brouwerij Boon is an ode to the original Duivelsbier from 1883, that was so good they thought it devilish. Duivelsbier Wild is fermented in stainless steel tanks with carefully selected wild yeasts from old wooden lambic barrels. It has a well rounded taste with smooth and slightly sour notes from the brettanomyces yeast. The bitterness from the hops is mild but perceptible on top of the malty body. The sour almost wild wine-like taste lingers nicely.
Game Over Blast West-Coast Ipa (6.1%) brewed by Funky Fluid in Warsaw (Poland).
Brewed with Citra, Simcoe and Centennial hops. The result is a beer with a pronounced bitterness, freshness, and a traditional hop character with mainly zesty citrus notes. Very drinkable for sure!
Tasting Chibuku Umqombothi – Cape Town (South Africa) at Woodstock Brewery.
One more post about my time in Cape Town for the African Beer Cup 🙂 During one of our brewery visits with the group of judges we got to taste Umqombothi.
Fellow judgeApiwe Nxusani-Mawela (Tolokazi brewing) had brought us some Chibuku, a commercial version of this traditional South African beer. This type of beer is made from corn, corn malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water. It is quite low in alcohol (less than 3% normally). It is traditionally brewed by women, for which they actually distance themselves from the rest of the village during the whole brewing process.
This beer has probably been made for thousands of years and is brewed in each tribe/ village according to a recipe that has been passed down for generations. Apiwe is actively trying to keep this traditional beer and the traditions surrounding it alive by organizing talks, masterclasses and brewing competitions. Beer heritage like this is important to keep alive for future generations.
Now for the tasting. As you can see in the photo Umqombothi looks nothing like any modern beer at all. The beer looks grey-white and milk-like and has a heavy and quite sour aroma. The mouth feel is quite thick, creamy and even a little gritty, reminding me a bit of slightly sour thin yogurt, followed by some grainy, corn-like flavours and a little fruitiness. Surprising for sure, but also refreshing and after a few sips to get used to it, I definitely enjoyed it. For me it was very special to taste such a different beer and to learn about its heritage.
A must-try when you visit South-Africa. I surely will try to find some more Umqombothi on my next visit to Cape Town.
Pinard de Bruxelles (7.5%) brewed and aged by BBP Dansaert (Brussels), bottled in March 2021. Beer made with Mourvedre grape must from the Languedoc and then aged in oak barrels from Bordeaux, Moscatel and Chardonnay.
Five years in a bottle and wow, what a nice beer blend! Wild yeast of course in both aroma and taste, also a mild and well rounded acidity with notes of grapes, a hint of fortified wine even, notes of prunes, spices and wood as well. YUM!😊
🍻 Happy International Beer Day!🍻
*******
Today we celebrate beer, breweries & pubs. Cheers to all the people around the world making and serving beer and keeping our lovely beer culture alive!
A special cheers to everyone who follows me and to everyone who has ever shared a beer with me. Because the best beer is a shared beer!
The amazing T-shirt design is from @clockworkbrewhouse 🤩
Moose Hammer hazy pale ale (5.5%) brewed by Woodstock Brewery in Cape Town (South Africa)
Lots of hoppy fruitiness in this thirst quenching ale; mango, peach and tangerine coming nicely together. Very easy drinking and comes with a warning on the can: you might get as hammered as a moose🫎…
Zero Pression (0.4%) alcohol-free beer brewed by Brasserie Caulier in Peruwelz (Belgium).
This alcohol free ale is tasty and refreshing, it has a fruity aroma and a good bitter body with notes of grapefruit and orange and a nice lasting aftertaste. 👍
Wimbledon you were amazing! 🤩
A big thank you to @hoptimalt.be for the opportunity. Last month I worked at this majestic tennis tournament for the first time and I really enjoyed it. Such a friendly atmosphere!
Working as a draught master for Stella Artois was great and it was lovely to be part of the launch of the Stella Strawberries & Cream lager.
A big thank you to the whole team, my amazing colleagues:
@hoppyz.zythologie
@julie.andremodera
@hoptimalt.be
@dams.bar
@mattlezytho
@babelbeer.be
Always good! A vegetarian spaghetti with Orval cheese on top together with a freshly tapped Bloemekei IPA at Billie (or as I keep saying … De Monk)😅
Cheers!
Duivelsbier Wild (6.3%) brewed by Brouwerij Boon in Lembeek (Belgium)
‘Lead us into temptation!’ This beer from Brouwerij Boon is an ode to the original Duivelsbier from 1883, that was so good they thought it devilish. Duivelsbier Wild is fermented in stainless steel tanks with carefully selected wild yeasts from old wooden lambic barrels. It has a well rounded taste with smooth and slightly sour notes from the brettanomyces yeast. The bitterness from the hops is mild but perceptible on top of the malty body. The sour almost wild wine-like taste lingers nicely.
Game Over Blast West-Coast Ipa (6.1%) brewed by Funky Fluid in Warsaw (Poland).
Brewed with Citra, Simcoe and Centennial hops. The result is a beer with a pronounced bitterness, freshness, and a traditional hop character with mainly zesty citrus notes. Very drinkable for sure!
Tasting Chibuku Umqombothi – Cape Town (South Africa) at Woodstock Brewery.
One more post about my time in Cape Town for the African Beer Cup 🙂 During one of our brewery visits with the group of judges we got to taste Umqombothi.
Fellow judgeApiwe Nxusani-Mawela (Tolokazi brewing) had brought us some Chibuku, a commercial version of this traditional South African beer. This type of beer is made from corn, corn malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water. It is quite low in alcohol (less than 3% normally). It is traditionally brewed by women, for which they actually distance themselves from the rest of the village during the whole brewing process.
This beer has probably been made for thousands of years and is brewed in each tribe/ village according to a recipe that has been passed down for generations. Apiwe is actively trying to keep this traditional beer and the traditions surrounding it alive by organizing talks, masterclasses and brewing competitions. Beer heritage like this is important to keep alive for future generations.
Now for the tasting. As you can see in the photo Umqombothi looks nothing like any modern beer at all. The beer looks grey-white and milk-like and has a heavy and quite sour aroma. The mouth feel is quite thick, creamy and even a little gritty, reminding me a bit of slightly sour thin yogurt, followed by some grainy, corn-like flavours and a little fruitiness. Surprising for sure, but also refreshing and after a few sips to get used to it, I definitely enjoyed it. For me it was very special to taste such a different beer and to learn about its heritage.
A must-try when you visit South-Africa. I surely will try to find some more Umqombothi on my next visit to Cape Town.
Limbo Riesling alcohol-free ale (0.3%) brewed by Mikkeler (Denmark) at De Proef Brouwerij (Belgium).
This Flemish primitive ale has Riesling juice added during the brewing process. The result is light and fresh, with notes of sweet grape juice but also a nice acidity and hints of lemon and lime. The wine-like taste lingers quite long in the aftertaste. Something different and refreshing for sure!👍
Duvel Tripel Hop Krush (8.4%) brewed by Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat in Puurs (Belgium).
A very nice variation on the normal Duvel beer, same style, same hops (Saaz and Styrian folding) but with the addition of dry hopping with the Krush hop.
The result is quite like the original (a malty and full bodied blonde with a soft bitterness) but with the intended difference: a nice fresh hop flavour of tropical fruits, mainly mango and passion fruit, with notes of pine. Dangerous for sure as it drinks like a thirst quencher. Yum 👌
