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Photo: Jurgen de Witte
BOURGOGNE DES FLANDRES:
The real taste of Bruges TEXT: CHARLOTTE VAN HEK | PHOTOS: BOURGOGNE DES FLANDRES
Bourgogne des Flandres occupies a very special place in the Belgian beer landscape. Honouring the typical Flemish beer blending tradition, the Bruges-based brewery takes pride in producing perfectly balanced beer with a taste as rich as the brewery’s history itself. After nearly 60 years, Bourgogne des Flandres has returned to the inner city of Bruges with its own brewery. Having lived a long and interesting history, the microbrewery is renowned for its unique beer, something it invites everyone to explore and taste through (interactive) tours for the whole family, meetups with the brewers, and naturally by trying a Bourgogne des Flandres.
The brewing process of Lambic differs from that of other beers in that at least 30 per cent wheat is used, only aged hops are used and no yeast is added, so there is spontaneous fermentation. All Lambic beers are aged in 100 per cent wooden barrels. “The entire fermentation and maturation process may take up to three years,” says Monnissen.
blending tradition, where brown beer and young Lambic are mixed judiciously to achieve a perfect balance,” explains brewery manager Patrick Monnissen. “Through the mixed fermentation, a unique sweet-sour flavour arises.” The result? A tasty red-brown beer and a rich, creamy finish. Although the beer blending method is centuries old, it is nowadays only practised by a handful of breweries in the world.
A history of brewing
While ‘Bruinen Os’ is brewed in the attic of the brewery, the Lambic beer is produced at sister brewery Timmermans, the oldest Lambic brewery in the world.
As rich as its finish, is Bourgogne des Flandres’ history. For the very first mentioning of the famous Bruges brewery we have to rewind to 1765 in the town of Loppem, where a farm-brewery was
Brewing tradition Bourgogne des Flandres is a blended beer, made of ‘Bruinen Os’ mixed with Lambic beer. “Bourgogne des Flandres is a typical example of the Flemish beer 58 | Issue 45 | September 2017
Photo: Jurgen de Witte