Café OPCD beats to the rhythm of the seasons
Author: Erik Verdonck / Published: 2014-01-15 07:10:22 +0100 / Last Updated: over 8 years ago
Alex Gallez© BeerTourism.com
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
.jpg?1389275452)
© BeerTourism.com
church tower. “OPCD?,” I ask its manager, Alex Callez. “Does that just mean ‘op cd’?” The café boss shakes his head. He must have answered this stupid question at least a thousand times before.
“’Obsédé’, as in ‘obsessed’ in French and the local Ardoois dialect!,” he laughs. Obsessed, by what exactly? There is no need to ask him.
On arrival, the answer is proudly displayed on the café's walls, in the shape of advertising; above the bar, disguised as a range of glasses; on the taps; and reinforced by the army of bottles in the cooler.
The Café OPCD beer menu offers no fewer than one hundred and seventy-six speciality beers. “Ten years ago, when I took over the café, the beer menu was far more limited”, Alex tells us. “In those days it
.jpg?1389275437)
© BeerTourism.com
was a café aimed at the young. However, there were live performances just as we have now." "We have hosted a fair few Belgian legends.
Think of Roland Van Campenhout, the blues man, or the multi-talented Patrick Riguelle… our focus was on blues, jazz and soul.” The café owner now does what comes naturally and pours me a Boon oude geuze. It is a Blue Monday and the business is closed.
I feel like one of those figures in an Edward Hopper painting, forever frozen propping up the endless bar, caught in the spotlights. I have to use my imagination to add the buzz of a good night in the café, which isn't difficult given the surroundings.
.jpg?1389275456)
Beer here!
A statement from an anonymous regular: “Café OPCD reminds me of ‘wood’, of ‘brown’, of a small brown and dark café with wood panelling and a small
.jpg?1389275390)
© BeerTourism.com
but lively bar, a ‘toogske’ where everyone is happy nursing a pint or a local brew”.
Alex Gallez knows his classics, and so his beer menu includes all the best-known Belgian beers.
However, this bar owner, originally from West Flanders, also likes to support his local micro-brewers. He therefore also promotes less easy-to-find beers, produced by the likes of De Dolle Brouwers, De Leite and Struise Brouwers.
Alex is a keen follower of the latest trends in the beer world: beers matured in wooden barrels, beers with a strong hop content, the IPA (India Pale Ale) style of beers, for example.
He will also showcase traditional regional beers, such as the Ichtegemse Grand Cru, a ‘roodbruin’ or red-brown beer from West Flanders.
.jpg?1389275472)
“We are in tune with the seasons”, Alex states. “In summer, demand is highest for fresh and fruity beers that you can drink out on the terrace enjoying the weather. In winter, people are asking for strong and dark abbey beers”.
From time to time, the Alex will organise beer tastings where he will guide his guests personally through the selection of beers on offer. He will also provide the cheeses, chorizo and beer paté ‘after his own recipe’ to complement the experience.
.jpg?1389275502)
Never a dull moment
There is always something going on in this Ardooie café. Fancy a quiz on a cold winter night? Live comedy, café theatre, a party…? Wall posters testify to a rich night life in this village and its surroundings.
.jpg?1389275460)
© BeerTourism.com
If the weather is fine, everybody congregates on the terrace until the early hours of the day.
If the weather gods are less benevolent, the ‘boltraag’ awaits. Come again? “Just look at the building around the back, with this strange bulge in the middle?” Alex points it out to me.
“We inherited it from the former ‘Schuttershof’ Inn in 1904.” ‘Bolletra’ is a popular indoor sport that is similar to the French Jeu de Boules.
The aim is to propel large concave discs, the 'bollen', to end up as close as possible to the ‘stake’. This target is a round mark within a circle. The defenders have the first go.
Then, the attackers will aim to roll their bollen ever closer to the target avoiding their opponents’ bollen missiles. This is not as easy as it sounds as the track is curved. The winner is whomever manages to propel the highest number of bollen closest to the centre point.
.jpg?1373448415)
© BeerTourism.com
Other fun traditional games are on offer here.
There is ring fencing, 'sjoelen' (shove halfpenny), 'tonspel' or 'trou-madame'. The latter three are all, in fact, varieties of the wooden board game commonly known as bagatelle - but the board may vary in size.
Café OPCD is also a meeting centre for tourists in the Brugs Ommeland (Brugge-Tielt) region, so Alex is more than happy to help you find your way around the locale.
And, good news for cyclists too: this café is cycle-friendly, so if you have a ‘flat’, you will find everything you need to repair your tyre. Unless you would rather ‘repair to’ the bar…
Book a Tasting!
Cultcafé OPCD
Stationstraat 4
8850
Ardooie
Telephone: +32 (0) 476 90 70 75
Email: info@opcd.be
Website: www.opcd.be
Bruges Blog Posts
Brugge Tripel contributes to renovation of Burgundian chapel of worshipBRUGES - 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 ... [ read more ]
Bruges Beer Festival 2018: your window on the Belgian beer worldBRUGES - 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 BrugesBRUGES - 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 FestivalBRUGES - 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 visitorsBRUGES - 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 ]
Comments
You must be logged in to leave a comment
SHARE:
You Might Like
Brasserie Dubussion prides itself on tradition and taste and has opened a brand new visitors centre, the Beerstorium. Learn about the rich history, beers and brewing at the oldest brewery in Wallonia. You can visit this authentic Belgian brewery, see brewing in action, as well as taste some of their delicious brews for yourself, including their legendary Bush (Scaldis) beer range.
Everything you ever wanted to know about (Belgian) beer under one roof. You get to feel, smell and taste ingredients and discover the typical Belgian beer styles. Come celebrate Belgian beer culture in heart of historic Bruges! Shop and bar are accessible without visiting the museum.
The Duvel Moortgat Brewery caters to everyone’s tastes with 3 different brewery experiences. From complete novice to experienced beer lover, Duvel has the brewery visit package for you.
Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck, well known for it's "Kasteel" beer range, now offers their Bierkasteel beer experience; brewery visit, event location, restaurant, bar and shop.
This freemium App for IOS and Android lets you explore and find the best that Belgium's UNESCO recognised beer culture has to offer. Find breweries, bars, restaurants, festivals, events, experiences and beer shops; create you own beer trips and be your own tour guide!
BLOG
POSTS
First Beer Tourism Café launched in Ostend
OSTEND - Good news for beer lovers on the Belgian coast, the first Beer Tourism Café now offers them a warm welcome in Ostend. No, this is not the first in a long chain of cloned establishments t... [ more ]
Iconic café De Pelgrim reopens in Antwerp
ANTWERP - Meet Cesar Van Gorp, 91-years-young. He is the oldest customer of café De Pelgrim, strategically located right opposite the De Koninck brewery in Antwerp. “I have been a regular since 1948,” ... [ more ]
Erik's Highlights: Belgian Café Culture
What is Belgian beer without a café in which to enjoy it? For as long as anyone can recall the two have been inseparable. Throughout Belgium you will find cafés in every size, shape and colour an... [ more ]
Behind the scenes at Grand Café De Rooden Hoed
ANTWERP - Local legends are there to be cherished, whether they are strictly true or not. So, did an Antwerp Cathedral priest really patrol the neighbourhood in a red hat? Or does Grand Café De Rooden ... [ more ]
More Beer
In the north of Belgium everyone knows what a Slurfke is: it is the beer that Eddy Van Noteghem, a main character in the wildly popular television series 'Thuis' ('Home'), is busy ... [ more ]
Beer Tourism Newsletter Signup
Enter your name and email address on the right and click "SignUp" to join.