PALM BREWERIES RODENBACH BREWERY DE GOUDEN BOOM BREWERY BOON BREWERY SECOND, FULLY REVISED EDITION MAY 2013 OPEN A WORLD OF TASTE PALM Breweries occupies a unique position in the beer landscape because it is the only brewery group in the world brewing authentic Belgian beers using the four traditional fermentation methods – top fermentation, mixed fermentation, spontaneous fermentation and bottom fermentation – at three specialised, historic sites in Belgium: PALM Breweries in Steenhuffel, RODENBACH Brewery in Roeselare, and BOON Brewery in Lembeek. The aim of our brewery group is to further develop its passion for authentic Belgian thorough- bred beers and to share these with consumers eager to discover and experience them. Open a world of taste and discover our pure Belgian thoroughbred beers! Cheers! Jan Toye Family brewer 3 CONTENT 4 Masterclass 5 Content 01 ANCHORED IN 04 DE GOUDEN BOOM BREWERY 102 THE BELGIAN BEER TRADITION 8 04.1 HISTORY 104 04.2 TOP-FERMENTATION BREWING PROCESS 108 01.1 BREWers’ BLOOD RUNS IN OUR FAMILY 10 04.3 TOP-FERMENTATION THOROUGHBRED BEERS 116 01.2 HISTORY OF BEER AND OF PALM BREWERIES 14 04.4 VISIT TO THE BREWERY 130 01.3 BELGIUM: A UNIQUE BEER NATION 22 01.4 A UNIQUE BREWERY GROUP 26 01.5 GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE 32 05 BOON BREWERY 134 05.1 HISTORY 136 02 PALM BREWERIES 36 05.2 SPONTANEOUS FERMENTATION BREWING PROCESS 140 05.3 SPONTANEOUS FERMENTATION THOROUGHBRED BEERS 146 02.1 HISTORY 38 05.4 VISIT TO THE BREWERY 154 02.2 TOP-FERMENTATION BREWING PROCESS 42 02.3 BOTTOM-FERMENTATION BREWING PROCESS 50 02.4 TOP- AND BOTTOM-FERMENTATION THOROUGHBRED BEERS 56 06 OUR THOROUGHBRED BEERS 02.5 VISIT TO THE BREWERY 72 FROM KEG TO GLASS 158 03 RODENBACH BREWERY 76 06.1 ON TAP 160 06.1.1 DRAUGHT BEER SYSTEMS 162 06.1.2 DRawING AND SERVING 168 03.1 HISTORY 78 06.1.3 OLD MASTERS 171 03.2 MIXED-FERMENTATION BREWING PROCESS 82 06.2 FROM THE BOTTLE 174 03.3 MIXED-FERMENTATION THOROUGHBRED BEERS 88 06.2.1 POURING AND SERVING 176 03.4 VISIT TO THE BREWERY 98 06.2.2 MASTER BEERS COLLECTION 182 06.3 DISCOVER AND EXPERIENCE 188 06.3.1 TASTING 190 06.3.2 BEER AND HEALTH 194 06.3.3 OUR THOROUGHBRED BEERS AT RECEPTIONS 196 06.3.4 OUR THOROUGHBRED BEERS WITH FOOD 198 01 02 03 04 05 06 6 Masterclass 7 01 ANCHORED IN THE BELGIAN BEER TRADITION 01.1 Brewers’ BLOOD RUNS OUR FAMILY 10 01.2 HISTORY OF BEER AND OF PALM BREWERIES 14 01.3 BELGIUM: A UNIQUE BEER NATION 22 01.4 UNIQUE BREWERY GROUP 26 01.5 GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE 32 9 01 ANCHORED IN THE BELGIAN BEER TRADITION Brewers’ blood runs in our family 10 Masterclass 11 01.1 ANCHORED IN THE BELGIAN BEER TRADITION DIEPENSTEYN CASTLE Brewers’ BLOOD RUNS IN THE FAMILY COUNT VAN MALDEGHEM-STEENHUFFEL 1686 Egidius Theodoor Schelfaut Van Rhode Cornet family Brewers’ blood 1626 SINAAI Joost Roman runs in our family CORNET PUB ca. DE KLOK PUB Whereas the global beer market consists mainly of bottom-fermentation beers, Belgium is re- Jan-Baptiste De Bruyne nowned for its centuries-old, regional thoroughbred beers brewed with top, mixed and sponta- Anne Cornet Angelina Schelfaut Franz Schelfaut neous fermentation. Belgian brewing families, with roots dating back well into the 16th century, Van Hove Ferdinand de are custodians of this uniquely Belgian beer culture. The passion is in our blood: brewers’ blood. Villegas Vennes My uncle Alfred Van Roy is a descendant of one of these brewing families on his mother’s side, Jean Baptiste DE PEER ST - GUIDON dating back to 1747 when Anne Cornet founded the DE HOORN village brewery in Brabant. Her Roman ERTVELDE BRUSSELS father, Theodoor Cornet, was already an innkeeper, brewer and distiller in Steenhuffel in 1686, DE HOORN THE FUTURE STEENHUFFEL STEENDORP and the estate manager at Diepensteyn Castle for the Count of Maldegem-Steenhuffel. Jozef Schelfaut Albert Schelfaut Peter Van Roy Ms Dhont Elodie Fiers Alfred’s father, Arthur Van Roy, was the son of a brewer from Wieze, where the Van Roy family ROMAN Carolus Van Goethem OUDENAARDE established a brewery in 1855. They were descended from the Van Rhode family of millers (Van Maria Van Hove Jean Baptiste Rooije – Van Roy), who operated the Diepensteyn Castle water mill in Steenhuffel in 1626. De Mesmaecker WIEZE ATLAS HAACHT BRUSSELS BOORT- Victor Alfred Van Roy’s first marriage was to Marguerite D’Hollander, a brewer’s daughter from Vansteenberge MEERBEEK MOLENAAR Moerzeke, and his second was to Aline Verleyen, a daughter of Maria Roman of the Roman SMEEREBBE brewing family, who have been brewing beer at Mater-Oudenaarde – continuously and under Henriette De Paul Vansteenberge Mesmaecker the same name – since 1545. Maria Roman was also my grandmother, and it was the ROMAN Margaretha Schelfaut Arthur Van Roy Louis Van Goethem Brewery that fostered my love of brewing. It was therefore an honour for me to be invited by Alois Roman my uncle, Alfred Van Roy, to continue the family tradition and his life’s work. Renee Van Landeghem Albert Vansteenberge D’Hollander Helene Schelfaut BIOS My son, Matthias, got an extra dose of brewers’ blood from his mother, who is also descended ERTVELDE from a long-standing brewing family. He is also continuing the brewing tradition, thereby secur- VAN GOETHEM ing its survival for the next generation. STEENDORP MOERZEKE Maria Roman Jozef Vansteenberge ATLAS Arthur Verleyen BRUSSELS Our passion is born from our tradition, as is our individuality and perhaps also our determin- Lucie Vermeersch ation, which is reflected in the beers we brew: true thoroughbred beers. Paul Van Goethem Paula Vansteenberge As artisanal Belgian family brewers, we develop a lasting relationship with consumers looking for the unique taste and brand experience of authentic thoroughbred beers, brewed with pas- Marguerite Alfred Van Roy Aline Verleyen M.Josee D’Hollander Verleyen sion in historic breweries specialising in one of the four traditional fermentation methods. Jean Toye Paul Ignace De Brabandere DE HOORNPALM Vansteenberge Katrien Delhuvenne STEENHUFFEL Betty Vansteenberge Jan Toye Carine Van Goethem BAVIK BAVIKHOVE Christoph Toye † Matthias Toye PALM - STEENHUFFEL RODENBACH - ROESELARE BOON - LEMBEEK GOUDEN BOOM - BRUGGE = Several generations Matthias & Jan Toye 12 Masterclass 13 01 ANCHORED IN THE BELGIAN BEER TRADITION History of beer and of PALM Breweries 14 Masterclass 15 01.2 ANCHORED IN THE BELGIAN BEER TRADITION HISTORY OF BEER AND OF PALM BREWERIES 1904 1897 Birth of “Spéciale Belge” 17th century Birth of “geuze” Alarmed by the success of Establishment of the free 1875 On the occasion of the pilsner beers, the Belgian cities The brewery in St Peter’s Brussels World Expo, many brewing colleges devise a In order to evade the ever-in- Abbey in Steenbrugge is French visitors are expected. competition aimed at im- 1084 creasing duty on beer, many established In order to please these proving Belgian beer. The St Arnold teaches his breweries and distilleries The rights of the Abbey of traditional Champagne objective is to increase followers to drink beer. establish themselves in “free 1747 Oudenburg, founded by drinkers, lambic brewers in the beer’s density, with an St Arnold founds the Abbey cities” such as Lembeek, The early days of PALM St Arnold, are transferred to the region around Brussels alcohol content of 5% ABV, of Oudenburg. He instructs located between the duch- Breweries the new St Peter’s Abbey promote their “méthode just like pilsner. By refrig- 4000 BC his followers to drink beer ies of Hainault and Brabant. Opposite the church in in Steenbrugge This abbey champenoise”, whereby erating traditional Belgian The Gauls learn how to instead of unsafe drinking Lembeek gives the name Steenhuffel, Anne Cornet owns a brew-house where the flat lambic beer is top-fermentation beers and brew beer. water, since beer is boiled “lambic” to the beer made begins a small, top-fermen- beer is brewed until the given more sparkle by bottle further saturating them with This first barley-based alco- and therefore free from there, brewed with 40% tation Brabant village brew- outbreak of the Second conditioning. The Brussels carbon dioxide up to 5 or 6 g holic beverage arrives, via harmful bacteria. Thanks 1455 wheat and spontaneous ery. She dubs her brewery World War. The secret of “Champagne”, dubbed of CO2/l, these beers obtain Egypt and Greece, in Central to the many lives he saves, DE GOUDEN BOOM fermentation in oak casks. DE HOORN, the Dutch STEENBRUGGE abbey beer geuze lambic, achieves the same effervescence and Europe. The foundations of he is designated the patron Brewery is established in translation of her French is the Bruges “gruut” blend international renown and foam as pilsner. They become our beer culture are laid. saint of brewers. Bruges surname “Cornet”. of herbs and spices. becomes a success story. known as “Spéciale Belge”. 600 1364 15th – 16th century 1836 1878 1900 Abbey craftsmanship Advent of Brabant-style Rise of Flemish cities and RODENBACH Brewery is The Flanders Red-Brown Advent and popularity of From the 6th century top-fermentation beers their city beers established in Roeselare Beer process is refined pilsner beers onwards, many abbeys With his “Novus Modus During the Golden Age, power- Pedro Rodenbach, together In England, the young In order to mimic the are established in Western Fermentandi Cerevisiam”, ful craft guilds are established with his entrepreneurial wife Eugène Rodenbach gains bottom-fermentation beer Europe, each responsible the German Emperor in every town. Brewers’ guilds Regina Wauters, founds the in-depth knowledge of from Pilsen, many breweries for providing its own food Charles IV promulgates a impose city-specific brewing brewery which will bear his the local Porter beer style: install refrigeration techno- and drink.