Lambic Month: Flemish Brabant Celebrates Tangy, Refreshing Draught Beer
Autumn in Flemish Brabant brings a unique celebration of tangy, refreshing draught beer. October is Lambic Month, honouring the traditional brewing of lambic and geuze, produced through spontaneous fermentation using wild yeasts from the Zenne River Valley.
Lambic and geuze enthusiasts can enjoy various events and activities throughout the season. The Lambic-Geuze Route offers cycling tours, stopping at notable breweries and blenderies like the lambik-O-droom. During this month, breweries and blenderies open their doors for guided tours and tastings, such as Oud Beersel, Boon, and 3 Fonteinen. For a more intimate experience, Boerenerf Eylenbosch, a small-scale blendery using organic ingredients, creates unique geuze, lambic, cider, and kombucha.
Frank Boon helped revive the lambic trade, and his family business, Boon Brewery, now produces 50,000 litres of lambic daily. Hans Boon, the winemaker, offers sales tours through the Boon Brewery, explaining the history and technique of Lambic brewing and providing tastings of Oud Geuze, Mariage Parfait, and Kriek. Lambic and geuze can also be paired with various dishes, and workshops are available to learn cooking with lambic.
Beyond the beer, Flemish Brabant's forests turn shades of burgundy, orange, and gold in autumn, inviting visitors to explore beyond Brussels. The Wild Yeast Walk, a 13.3 km trail, blends nature, history, and local delicacies, including ice cream from the Krijmerie van Gaasbeek. Lambic Month offers a unique opportunity to experience the rich culture and history of Flemish Brabant's tangy, refreshing draught beer.
