Discover Belgian beer and food in Bruges.

Brugge Tripel contributes to renovation of Burgundian chapel of worship


Email  •  Print

Author: Erik Verdonck / Published: 2019-11-18 09:07:14 +0100 / Last Updated: over 4 years ago

Gruuthuuse, Brugge Tripel Gruuthuse, The Gruuthouse
© BeerTourism.com


BRUGES - This city draws you back in time to the heydays of the Burgundian era. After years of renovation works the Gruuthusemuseum has re-opened its doors. This former city Brugge Tripel Brugge Tripel
© Royal Swinkels Family Brewers
palace is the showcase for a unique collection of tapestries, paintings, documents from the archives, lace and silverware from the late Middle Ages. The jewel in the crown is the chapel of prayer (1472) commissioned by Lodewijk Van Gruuthuse.

This chapel connects the palace with Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (the Church of Our Dear Lady). The authentic character of this place of devotion has largely remained intact. You only need a smidgen of imagination to spend a little while in Burgundian Bruges whilst you enjoy the view of the beautifully renovated choir of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk. This restoration required a great deal of money. Non-profit organisation Friends of the Bruges City Musea used crowdfunding to get the money together.

One of the companies they approached was Brouwerij Palm, known for its Brugge Tripel. Without hesitation Palm offered to support this initiative and it did so by launching a new beer: Brugge Tripel Prestige 2016 Limited Edition Lodewijk van Gruuthuse. Aimed at connoisseurs; the beer is available from the museum shops as well as a range of cafés and restaurants in the city. The proceeds were put towards the restoration of the chapel.


Gruuthuse, Brugge Tripel The renovated chapel
© BeerTourism.com


Gruut Beer

The beer is named ‘Brugge Tripel Prestige 2016 Limited Edition Lodewijk van Gruuthuse’ and is made with additional herbs including juniper berries. This rich and creamy tripel tastes full in the mouth with Gruut, Brugge Tripel Lodewijk Van Gruuthuse
© BeerTourism.com
unexpected, slightly smoky touches. Its complex zesty aromas flow seamlessly into the characteristic, mildly bitter taste.

The beer harks back to the roots of the rich Bruges brewing tradition, where hops were used as a preservative and to add flavour only from the 14th century onwards. Before then, a herbal mixture called gruut was used in brewing. The brewer had to purchase his gruut from the Gruuthuse.

The exact composition of the blend was a well-kept secret. However, it can be said that the quality of the beer was based on a mixture of herbs including bog myrtle, juniper berries, resin and caraway. Bruges traded increasingly with countries around the Mediterranean and consequently more and more herbs from southern regions found their way to the Venice of the North: sage, rosemary, bay leaf, aniseed, liquorice and coriander.

Brewers had to pay gruit duty if they wanted to use this herbal blend. In Bruges these taxes were collected by the Lords of Gruuthuse on behalf of the Count of Flanders. The Palm brewery honours this tradition by using gruut in its Brugge Tripel.


Brugge Tripel Gruut tasting session
© BeerTourism.com


Master of Herbs

The grounds of Brouwerij Palm are also home to De Hoorn microbrewery. This experimental garden regularly produces new Arthur’s Legacy beers. The master of herbs takes the initiative when it comes to De Hoorn, Palm Belgian Craft Brewers Brewhall De Hoorn
© BeerTourism.com
development of zesty beers, including the aforementioned Limited Edition of the Brugge Tripel.

The master of herbs worked closely with the team of brewers and several Bruges-based owners of hospitality venues to determine the ideal blend. A tough job but somebody had to do it!

They ended up tasting and judging 28 test brews at the Bruges Beer Experience to find the winner.

Its bar now offers the opportunity to taste a wide selection of Rodenbach and Palm beers including Brugge Tripel.

The Bruges Beer Experience showcases the rich Bruges brewing tradition in all its splendid variety.

Make your way to the attic to find out more about all the different ingredients used in beer, you will also learn everything you need to know about the brewing process.

You can feel and smell herbs such as coriander and cardamom. Do you know which herbs are used in Brugge Tripel?


Bruges Blog Posts

Bruges Beer Festival 2018: your window on the Belgian beer world
BRUGES - Eleven years ago it all started off on quite a modest scale in the medieval town hall of Bruges, under the imposing gaze of the Belfry. Now, in 2018, the Bruges Beer Festival has spread its w ... [ read more ]
Bourgogne des Flandres is back in Bruges
BRUGES - After years of wandering, Bourgogne des Flandres has once again found a permanent home in Burgundian Bruges. This beer left the city when Bruges brewery Den Os ... [ read more ]
Visiting the 2015 Bruges Beer Festival
BRUGES - Once more, Bruges has shown itself to be a fully-fledged beer city by hosting its annual beer festival that is attracting more and more visitors and is taking on an ever-more international fl ... [ read more ]
7th BAB Brugs Bierfestival makes a splash with record number of visitors
BRUGES - The city of Bruges not only has an excellent reputation with tourists but it is also a resounding name amongst beer lovers all over the world. Previous editions of the annual 'Brugs Bierfesti ... [ read more ]
Café OPCD beats to the rhythm of the seasons
ARDOOIE - We are leaving Kortrijk behind us, taking exit 8 from the E403 Doornik – Zeebrugge. Ardooie is our destination, or more specifically, Café OPCD, just below the ... [ read more ]

Comments


You must be logged in to leave a comment


SHARE:
 



BLOG

POSTS
Palm and Rodenbach - now under the banner of Swinkels Family Brewers

LIESHOUT/STEENHUFFEL - Since 2016 the Palm, De Hoorn and Rodenbach breweries have been owned by Bavaria, a Dutch-based brewer. Two years after the takeover, Bavaria has been re-named Swinkels Family ... [ more ]

Brugge_tripel_-_palm_belgian_craft_brewers_-_225

More Beer

Many Belgian towns and cities have their own city beer. Bruges is no exception, with the Brugse Tripel from the De Gouden Boom brewery. Brouwerij Palm took over De Gouden Boom in 2... [ more ]

Beer Tourism Newsletter Signup

Enter your name and email address on the right and click "SignUp" to join.

Name:
Email:
TWITTER
    FACEBOOK