They always appear around this time of year and they're cause for controversy among consumers and even historians. To some they are just a marketing tool. To others they are deeply rooted in tradition.
Among this second group, there are beers considered as the last of the year, direct descendants of the "October beers" that breweries essentially created to take advantage of the surplus of barley and hops available to them before the new harvest.
For others, they are the first of the year, produced to take advantage of the mild temperatures of autumn and the fruits of the latest harvest.
The fact is that many breweries have a Christmas beer in their back catalogues, although their sales represent barely 5% of total sales.
Generally speaking, they are strong, dark, heavy, sweet and often spiced, but there are notable exceptions. Among the first we find the already classic St. Bernardus Christmas, Carolus Christmas or Abbaye de Rocs Noël, and among the second we do recommend Stille Nachtand Père Noël.
In any case, these are seasonal beers and the majority of them are to keep. As you'd expect, here at Lambicus we can't turn our backs on Christmas beer, and that's why we're inviting you to try some more - by coming to our tasting on the December 15thor just let yourself be seduced by our pourers who will be offering customers these Christmas gems over the next fews days.
In the heart of a city steeped in history like Bruges, there emerges a brewery that distills the essence of craft beer tradition. The Brewery De Halve Maan, the birthplace of iconic brands such as Brugse Zot, Straffe Hendrik, and Blanche De Bruges, is a corner where quality beer meets Belgian authenticity.
Shall we meet up to go to the Festival in Brussels?
Tickets, accommodation, and transportation are each person's responsibility. We suggest creating a group to meet on-site and enjoy drinks and food together. Once the festival is over, we can continue the party at some of the city's bars.
The Nanobrasserie or Nanobrewery de l’Hermitage, a project by three friends: Nacim Menu, François Simon and Henri Ben Saria, made their first production in July 2017.
Before this and after some home brewing they learned to brew at la Brasserie Bastogne, now called Brasserie Minne.
Arnulfo de Soissons, a famous clergyman who became Bishop of Soissons – not without regret, as he fled from the Monastery in order not to have to occupy this position – was fond of two fluids that changed the course of humanity: first, he introduced the production of boiling water in order to prevent the transmission of contagious diseases. About the second, we shall speak later.
In the early 80s the Belgian brewing scene was characterized by a certain monotony in terms of variety and a certain monopoly by the breweries that had managed to overcome the crisis after the Second World War.
