Beer in Brussels - Sunday 3 July 2022

 

Simon and Tim travelled from Antwerp to Brussels Midi by train and then walked through a busy Sunday market and then along Avenue de Stalingrad to reach Cafe Bebo at its northern end, where it joins Place Rouppe.

While Tim checked into economical and nearby Hotel Barry, Simon enjoyed a glass of Duchesse De Bourgogne at a pavement table. (Simon's luggage had already been deposited at the station in readiness for his evening departure by Eurostar to London).

It is only a short walk from Place Rouppe to Place Fontainas.

Tim's first beer in Brussels would be served inside at Moeder Lambic (Fontainas) where it was not busy and the background music was mainly Europop.

While Simon (above) enjoyed a glass of Quetsche Tilquin, Tim enjoyed a glass of Troubadour Magma NEIPA. These were poured from two of the forty or so taps.

There are now two banks of taps at the back of the bar and two more banks on the bar itself. 

With so many taps for a wide choice there are few bottles listed on the daily beer menu.

It is now 'bar service' and it appears there are no longer any handpumps at Moeder Lambic for cask beer. Some seats near the entrance have been removed to make way for a raised and tiled space, perhaps intended as an open storage area? 

Moeder Lambic (Fontainas) must surely be an essential destination for any beer enthusiast's Brussels visit.

With an evening train to catch, Simon was keen to visit nearby Poechenellekelder and enjoy a lasagne meal in advance of our friends, who were catching a later train from Antwerp to meet up with us at Brasserie de la Mule.

Situated near the Mannekin Pis tourist hotspot, all the tables in the courtyard were taken so we sat inside, near the stairway leading up from the entrance, with music from a talented singer-guitarist just outside providing a good background.

From the extensive beer menu, Simon chose Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers Oerbier and Tim chose Orval (after finding that V Cense from Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille was not available).

Our drinks were professionally poured and served with a small bowl of complimentary snacks. Simon could not finish his lasagne, served with a generous basket of bread so Tim also had something to eat before his evening meal! As usual, Poechenellekelder did not disappoint and is another essential Beer in Brussels destination.

On the way to the tram stop to take us to Schaerbeek, we walked up Rue du Chene and passed Gist and the statue of Jacques Brel at Place de la Vieille Halle au Bles. Tim would revisit Poechenellekelder and Gist in the evening. 

Tram 92 runs from Palais to Pogge and we arrived at Brasserie de la Mule, 95 Rue Reubens, soon after 5pm.

The building was once a tram depot and stable for the horses that once pulled them. The courtyard furniture is made from wooden pallets and cable drums. Tim's first beer (above) was Straight Saison (6% ABV) served in a tall wheat beer style glass with good value at 5 euros for 50cl.

It was good to meet up again with the 'usual suspects' from Antwerp although Dave had travelled on to Amsterdam instead. Out of service trams are still stored behind the old tram depot - as visible in the photo.

Inside, the Bar de la Mule is a large space with a vaulted ceiling and seating areas at both ends. Table football can be played at the end which leads to the courtyard at the side.

Brewery vessels and the canning line can be seen before entering the bar area and when leaving. 

With a train to catch, Simon was the first to leave. Before the rest of us left at 7.30pm there was time for another tall beer (an amber coloured Hefe Weisse Naturtrüb for Tim).

There was also time to speak to Guillaume who had single-handedly managed the bar all day. Tim left a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA Ullage magazine with him for customers to read.

Note that live music and other events are often held at Brasserie de la Mule and event details are updated on Facebook.

A photo opportunity for Tim (Thomas) as the group of four reached Thomas tram stop, at the junction of Rue du Progres and Avenue Philippe Thomas.

Tram 3, south towards Churchill, would take us to Beurs. Esplanade is the northern terminus on this route. Presenting an enabled contactless bank card to the reader onboard charges 2.10 euros for an hour's travel on the STIB-MIVB network. 

We passed some Tintin street art in Rue de l'Etuve, just south of Rue du Lombard, as we approached Poechenellekelder.

Tim was happy to revisit Poechenellekelder and to sit outside this time.

He chose Moinette for his first evening beer. This time there was no complimentary bowl of snacks to nibble. This Brasserie Dupont 8.5% ABV flagship beer was created in 1955.

Here's a photo of Tim's lasagne at Poechenellekelder from a 2019 visit. Once again it was a popular meal choice. Unlike the afternoon visit, there was no basket of bread accompaniment on this occasion. It was generous of Richard to pay for all our meals. He was feeling rich after patting a different pocket while at Brasserie de la Mule and discovering that the wallet which he had thought had been pickpocketed, while on the tram to Schaerbeek earlier, had not been stolen after all!

With its collection of wooden puppets, there is always something unusual to photograph on the route to the toilets at Poechenellekelder. These are reached after negotiating stairs up from the entrance and then down to the basement from bar level. 

It was deja vu again for Tim as the group walked up Rue du Chene but this time we would find a table inside Gist which was dimly lit. It was good to see a handpump in action here even though not placed in the most ergonomic position on the bar!

There have been several changes since a previous visit to Gist in 2019 when it was run by Jenlain and Jody - see previous post. The loud music from vinyl records has been toned down and the decor has changed.

The new decor includes cymbals as shades for lighting fixtures.

Gist is now an Untappd verified venue and details of available beers can be checked online. 

Tim received a 'Gist Brussels Family' badge after checking in his first beer (Blanche Cassis by Drogenbos) on the Untappd app (as timofnewbury).

Despite its name, Urine a 7% ABV DIPA collaboration between Brasserie du Borinage and Bastard Brewers tasted good and was served in a can shaped branded glass.

Although Gist was not busy later on, the helpful staff kept the bar open until the advertised closing time of midnight on Sunday.

Note that a range of Brasserie de la Mule canned beers, with colourful labels by AMMO illustration, are available at Gist.

Gist has become another essential Beer in Brussels bar to visit, especially for craft beer enthusiasts!

The regularly updated Brussels Beer City blog by Eoghan Walsh has more news about beer in Brussels and is highly recommended.

Eoghan's latest book 'A History of Brussels Beer in 50 Objects' includes #49 Brasserie de la Mule Hefe Weisse.

A review of Brussels Beer City

Originally from Ireland, Eoghan Walsh has lived in Brussels for around ten years. Eoghan founded the Brussels Beer City blog in 2017. He was awarded Best Young Beer Writer of 2018 by the British Guild of Beer Writers. Eoghan contributes articles to Ferment, Pellicle and other publications.

Based on his articles featured in the now-defunct Belgian Beer & Food magazine, Eoghan published Brussels Beer City: Stories from Brussels’ Brewing Past as a printed book and e-book with a launch event at Brussels Beer Project on 7 October 2020.

On 22 October, an online book launch event and drink-a-long with Eoghan Walsh was hosted by Breandán Kearney, Belgian Smaak on Zoom. The beers suggested to complement the Q&A session were: Zinnebir, Zenne Pils (both Brasserie de la Senne) and Cantillon Gueuze, all brewed in Brussels.

An introductory chapter ‘A Tumultuous Past’ charts the history of brewing in Brussels through its vanished breweries leaving Cantillon as Brussels’ sole commercial brewery for nearly two decades until Brasserie de la Senne opened their brewery in Molenbeek in 2010.

Subsequent chapters cover vanished breweries: De Boeck; Atlas; Vandenheuvel; Wielemans-Ceuppens; Leopold; Belle-Vue and Caulier.

Boulevard Maurice Lemonnier - near Brussels Midi station

An Epilogue ‘In search of lost beers’ describes a Sunday spent with Joe Stange on a mission to drink a beer from each of the last four centuries of Brussels brewing history – Boon Lambic, Cantillon Geueze, CTS Scotch and Zinnebir ‘a Brussels pale ale’.

‘Catch a Falling Star’, the Vandenheuvel chapter looks at 1958, when the Atomium was the centrepiece of Expo 58 in Heizel and the brewery’s Ekla Pils was the ‘star of the Expo’. Within a decade many of the 32 breweries supplying Expo 58 had been merged or closed. Vandenheuvel was shut down, by its new owner Watneys, in 1974.

‘Monsieur Constant’, the Belle-Vue chapter describes the career of Constant Vanden Stock as patriarch of the Belle-Vue brewery which transformed the Lambic industry and president of Anderlecht football club. Eoghan’s interest in the football aspect reveals that he ‘always wanted to be a sports writer’.

The slim book, illustrated with a photograph for each chapter, lacks a map. After tracing online the brewery locations mentioned, my interest in visiting the remaining brewery buildings or traces, resulted in the production of a rough map (below) to illustrate this article and to complement the book. The map’s key identifies the icons which indicate whether any traces or buildings of the historic breweries remain.

The paperback book and Kindle edition can be purchased at: Amazon

Brussels feat. Gist - Sunday 30 June 2019

Transferring to Brussels on day four would bring first visits to Gist and Au Laboureur as well as repeat visits to old favourites Poechenellekelder, Delirium Cafe (Hoppy Loft) and Moeder Lambic Fontainas.

Steve and I caught the 11.40 Antwerp Central (top level) to Brussels Midi train arriving 12.31. The standard single fare is 7.40 euros. It took a while to get through the sprawling Sunday market between Brussels Midi / Zuid station and Boulevard Maurice Lemonnier and then it was another 500 metres along the shady side of the street to reach Hotel Barry at Place Anneessens.

We could leave luggage in our rooms before continuing past Moeder Lambic Fontainas, Mannekin Pis and Poechenellekelder to reach Gist at Place de la Vielle Halle aux Bles.

As Gist (meaning Yeast in Dutch) was closed we retraced our steps down Rue du Chene, passing a mural, to reach Poechenellekelder.

Plenty of people were seated at outside tables but we climbed the spiral stairs to find a table near the small bar.

(Photo: Steve Kelly)

By now it was 1.30pm and I ordered a coffee while Steve chose a 37.5 cl bottle of Oude Geuze Boon from Brouwerij Boon (7.70 euro). Bottles of the 7% ABV 'blend of 90% mild 18 month-old lambic, 5% strong 3 year-old beer and 5% very young lambic, which provides fermentable sugars and wild yeasts' are given a best before date 20 years after the bottling date. Steve commented 'Sour. Lovely' on Untappd.

Poechenellekelder is famed for its collection of puppets and figures and also has a fine collection of enamel beer signs. A puppet on stilts attached to the hand rail jiggles his head everytime anyone touches the hand rail when using the stairs to reach the toilets downstairs!

My first beer was Saison de Dottignies by Brouwerij de Ranke from the draught beer menu.

When Simon Grist joined us, having travelled on a later train from Antwerp, we ordered lunch. A Croque Monsieur sans jambon for Steve while lasagne was 'the usual' for me and Simon. The lasagne takes a while to cool down and eventually I nearly finished mine.

I stayed with the saison beer style by ordering a bottle of IV Saison by Brasserie Jandrain-Jandrenouille (6.5% ABV, 4.20 euro) as the last beer here. This is the original beer produced at the brewery since 2007 in a rural location midway between Brussels and Liege.

At 4.15pm we walked back up Rue du Chene to meet up with John, Keith and Richard at Gist which had opened at 3pm.

An outside board by the entrance lists the beers on tap including two on cask.

Inside, the two handpumps are just visible behind a blackboard propped up against them. An elevated stainless steel box section houses the taps for the other draught beers.

The interior includes a mixture of seating and a variety of posters and artwork on the white walls. There are two record decks with LPs underneath at the far end of the bar. Some loud frenzied music was playing that meant it was more relaxing to sit outside. However Steve liked the music here and the music played later was more acceptable to my ears.

Opposite the bar is more seating with sections of blackboard above to display the draught beers individually.

Outside our pavement tables gave a view of Place de la Vielle Halle aux Blés which contains a statue of Jacques Brel. This was visited by passing tourists posing for selfies and further distraction arose from vehicles passing and then reversing nearby after finding that Rue du Chene was closed to traffic.
We spent three hours here and the beers I enjoyed from the draught menu were Mongy Session IPA (4% ABV) by Brasserie Cambier based near Lille, Lupulus Blanche the permanent white beer at Gist and the cask version of Brasserie de la Senne Taras Boulba.

Simon with Jenlain & Jody

After my tip to visit the bar, Simon Grist had spent several hours at Gist on Thursday evening and spoken with the owners Jenlain and Jody. Today it was my chance to chat with them. Jenlain explained that they are able to sell casks of beer within three days so that the quality is maintained. They also check the cask beer carefully each day and will not serve it if the quality has deteriorated.

They started with some casks from the London brewers Anspach & Hobday and are able to use the empty casks to source Belgian beers from Brasserie de la Senne, L'Ermitage and No Science amongst others. Jenlain mentioned that they expect to be involved with serving cask beer at the BXL BeerFest at Tour & Taxis, Brussels on 24-25 August, 2019. Jenlain was interested to see the programme for BierPassie Weekend that we had attended in Antwerp but thought that the festival's 20cl servings were on the large side.

The Gulp // Cask Ale comes to Brussels post by Brussels resident Eoghan Walsh about Gist which had led to our visit includes details of the Gulp cask festival held there on a Friday in May 2019.

It was time for Simon to go to Brussels Midi to catch his Eurostar train back to London so he departed at about 7.15pm. While John, Keith and Richard were keen to visit Poechenellekelder for lasagne and then move to Delirium Cafe's Hoppy Loft, Steve and I had an alternative plan and would meet them at the Hoppy Loft later. Before leaving we had to get photos at the Jacques Brel statue!

Au Daringman

Steve and I walked to Au Labourer via Galeries Royales Saint Hubert pausing for a glance at A la Mort Subite.

Contnuing, we passed Saint Catherine church and then along narrow Rue du Flandre passing Au Daringman at 37, the corner with Rue du Chien Martin.

A la Mort Subite, Au Daringman and Au Laboureur are all featured in Regula Ysewijn's book as authentic Belgian cafes. A visit to Au Daringman is on the cards for my next visit to Brussels.

Au Labourer, Rue du Flandre 108, is at the northern end, at the junction with Rue du Marche au Porcs.

Regula Ysewijn writes 'Today we find an early 1920s decor with wooden wall panelling and a matching bar, all made by Henri Houbaer from Koekelberg, who also created the interior in other Brussels cafes around this time. On the outside of the bar you still find the traditional geuze corkscrew, I have never seen it in such a prominent spot.'

With prominent advertising for Papegaei from Brouwerij Verstraete this was an 8% ABV strong blonde ale that we both ordered. It is brewed with barley, wheat, oats and fresh hops by Adam Verstraete at the Deca brewery in Woesten, near Ypres. We sat at a table inside to avoid most of the traffic noise outside but all the doors and windows were open on this warm evening. The distinctive music playing on the sound system was by Alain Bashung (1947-2009) from En Amont, his last studio album, released posthumously in 2018.

We left at 9.15pm and stopped to take a photo of the Cubitus mural that faces Au Laboureur from across Rue du Marche au Porcs. The scene is of the Mannekin Pis statue but Mannekin's position has been usurped by Cubitus the dog and he is the spectator by the railings.

On the way to Delirium Village we stopped for some Asian food at a new minimalist cafe / restaurant in Rue du Flandre that Steve had spotted with an illustrated vegetarian menu displayed in the front window

Crossing the pedestrianised Boulevard Anspach, Steve noticed the bicycle wheels suspended across the street in connection with the Tour de France which would start from Brussels within a week.

We arrived at Delirium Cafe, Impasse de la Fidélité 4, at about 10pm.

We climbed the steps from the entrance to reach the Hoppy Loft and find the others sat at one of the tables with a top made from a wagon wheel in the dimly lit room.

From the list of 20 draught beers above the bar, I enjoyed a 25cl glass of Zero San, a Brut IPA dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin from Reservoir Dogs (Nova Gorica, Slovenia) costing 5.60 euros.

There were two other beers from Reservoir Dogs, four beers from Oitava Colina (Lisbon, Portugal) and three beers from Beerstorming (Brussels) amongst others.

The Hoppy Loft has plenty of brewery enamel signs on display and there are more on the passageway that leads to the toilets.

One of the cheapest beers (3.80 euros / 25cl) was Delirium Tremens by Huyghe Brewery and this seemed a good reason to reacquaint myself with it!

When the Hoppy Loft closed we joined the lively crowd in the passageway outside. Impasse de la Fidélité is the location for Jeanneke Pis fountain and statue, protected by railings, another photo opportunity!

Moeder Lambic Fontainas is on the way back to Hotel Barry from Delirium Village and this is where I enjoyed my final beer of the night - Noisy Pale Ale brewed by No Science. The 6% ABV Belgian IPA (60 IBU) is brewed with Challenger and Mosaic hops. This was a recommendation from Jenlain of Gist who had called in to his old workplace for a beer. Jenlain pointed out the six handpumps against the wall at the back of the bar and mentioned that he had been involved in expanding the range of beer styles served from these pumps. He also pointed out that there is only limited storage capacity for beers to be served from the handpumps but that KeyKegs could be accommodated. 

With music by the Handsome Family playing on the sound system it was nice to be able to sit at the bar with good beer and good music. As usual the Moeder Lambic staff were reliably professional. 
Hotel Barry is only 250 metres away and I would sleep soundly despite the residual heat and lack of air conditioning in my room.