Zythos 2018. Watch out… there’s some heritage about!
Author: Erik Verdonck / Published: 2018-05-01 08:41:51 +0200 / Last Updated: almost 6 years ago
Welcome to Zythos!© BeerTourism.com
LEUVEN - 12,500 fans made their way to Leuven for what was already the 15th edition of the Zythos beer festival. Many fans travelled a long way to get to Belgium. They flocked here from many European
Lupulus Hopera
© BeerTourism.com
countries and much further away too, with Brazil, China, the USA, Australia, Canada and Japan all well represented.
One hundred Belgian breweries and beer firms took part in this festival. If you were up to the task, you could taste over five hundred Belgian beers. It’s hard to keep up when you see the explosive growth of microbreweries and beer firms.
Adventurous beer drinkers feel under pressure to tick off yet another beer on the list of new arrivals.
Are they getting a ‘kick’ from what they are tasting? Is this beer the umpteenth ‘one taste stand’ or is it good enough to be slotted into the standard range of a particular brewery?
At any rate, the craft beer movement has spurned on the existing breweries to be more creative. You are overwhelmed by the huge array of limited editions and niche beers with plenty of character. After all, you come to Zythos to increase your profile, particularly if you have something new to offer.
Some established names in the market decide not to attend when they have nothing new to offer. Nevertheless, the main Belgian classics remain reliable beacons in the tumultuous beer sea. Just join the Trappists, lambic brewers or gueuzestekers or enjoy a ‘spéciale belge’ amber beer, a saison, tripel or Flemish red-brown ale.
Trappist Ladies...
© BeerTourism.com
A tough job
Belgian tradition stands firm in the face of this manifold competition. Many breweries specialise in medium-strong beers all the way up to high-strength beers. Also, the wave of IPAs seems to be receding, only to be followed,
Dressed to Impress
© BeerTourism.com
in our opinion, by a surge of lighter but tasty ‘session ‘beers. Alcohol-free beers continue to take up a small niche in our beer land of Belgium.
Whilst all of this is going on, there are a few breweries that make substantial additions to their ranges or launch their own ‘session’ beers. Barrel-aged beers are being promoted by several breweries: Amburon (Tungri Walk On The Wild Side), Silly (Scotch Silly Whisky Barrel Aged) and Huyghe (Delirium Christmas Oak Aged).
We also came across several strong barley wines influenced by spirits, including those produced by Het Anker (Gouden Carolus Cuvée van de Keizer Whisky Infused), Abbaye des Rocs (Triple Impériale), Wilderen (Cuvée Clarisse Whisky Infused) and Van Steenberge (Gulden Draak Calvados), whereas Val-Dieu (Rader Ambrée) prefers to use barrels made of young oak.
An example of a ‘new sour ale’ with the addition of wild yeasts (Brett) is the Straffe Hendrik Wild 2018 produced by De Halve Maan. Roman is proud to present its Sloeber IPA, Duvel Moortgat introduces its Blue Pearl Russian Imperial Stout and Bertinchamps invites us to a meeting with its Bertinchamps Brune Porter.
Tungri "Take a walk on the Wild Side"
© BeerTourism.com
All in the family
Het Anker introduces Gouden Carolus Indulgence Botanical, a beer with an amazing taste thanks to the use of herbs. This brewery’s Gouden Carolus Whisky Infused scooped the Zythos Consumer Trophy only last year.
BFB Pre-opening night
© BeerTourism.com
Fruit beers are not forgotten, they are offered by Lupulus (Fructus) and Rodenbach (Alexander).
The tradition of farm beer was revived by the saison from Dupont. This year they have launched a ‘provisiebier’ or storage beer called L’Hirond’Ale. De Kazematten joins the farm tradition with its (Saison Tremist). Palm Belgian Craft Brewers plays several variations on the theme of amber beers.
In brief, the Zythos beer festival pays superb homage to Belgian beer culture, honoured by UNESCO as ‘intangible world culture’. All the same, the influence of the international craft beer movement is slowly making its way into your glass. This is where many Belgian brewers get their inspiration, without betraying the soul of the tradition. After all, what is the added value of the umpteenth uninspired copy of a ‘one hit wonder’? If a beer has been produced without undue hurry and haste, the taste bears it out.
We are given a taster at the very first Zythos Preopening Night organised by the Belgian Family Brewers in the historic Stella Artois brew hall in Louvain. The 21 Belgian family breweries who make up this association are justifiably proud of their expertise gained throughout many generations. This allows them to conjure up something new in the glass from time to time as, after all, to stand still is to move backwards.
Leuven Blog Posts
Good beer hunting at the 2016 Zythos Beer FestivalLEUVEN - Hordes of beer lovers are flowing towards Leuven. They come from all around Belgium and far beyond. ‘Zythos’ is an important event in the diary of every beer lover. ... [ read more ]
Great Belgian Beer Dinner 2015LEUVEN - The Great Belgian Beer Dinner is an annual event for lovers of gastronomy and beer pairing. Last year’s edition was staged the tavern at City Brewery Gruut in Ghent. ... [ read more ]
Zythos Beer Festival 2015LEUVEN - Big, bigger, biggest... with around 17.000 visitors, it feels like the eleventh Zythos beer festival in Leuven is about to burst at the seams. Once the festival is in full swing, it is imposs ... [ read more ]
Going for gold: Brussels Beer Challenge 2014LEUVEN - As many as 79 Belgian breweries with 200 Belgian beers took part in the third edition of the international Brussels Beer Challenge. There was plenty of international ... [ read more ]
Professor Jo Swinnen: Halfway between tradition and innovationLEUVEN - Our passion for a good brew in the glass can make us forget that brewing beer is an important economic activity but Professor Jo Swinnen of Leuven University takes us back to reality. In his ... [ read more ]
Comments
You must be logged in to leave a comment
SHARE:
You Might Like
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
BLOG
POSTS
Brussels Beer Challenge 2019, and the winners are...
BRUSSELS/MONS - We’ve made our way down to the historic city of Mons (Bergen) for the eighth edition of the international Brussels Beer Challenge. A 90-strong jury is busy tasting; there are four morning sessions in a ro... [ more ]
Brugge Tripel contributes to renovation of Burgundian chapel of worship
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 palace is the showca... [ more ]
Brewers of Europe Forum 2019: Craftsmanship on the old continent
ANTWERP - Brewers from 59 different countries flocked to attend the Brewers of Europe Forum 2019 in the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Hall, right next to the renowned Antwerp Central Station building. ... [ more ]
Craftsmanship and balance at brewery Van Steenberge
ERTVELDE - To track down a brewer within his own domain is a high-ranking form of sports, or that’s the impression I get. After a bit of practice I spot Jef Versele, CEO of the Van Steenberge brewery, well hidden amongst... [ more ]
Brussels Beer Challenge 2018 - The results!
MECHELEN - The historic city of Mechelen, halfway between Brussels and Antwerp, is truly a hidden gem. The presence of the Dukes of Burgundy, who ruled here in the late middle ages, still permeates the ancient city centr... [ more ]
More Beer
Kasteel Tripel is a West Flemish tripel through and through, enriched with Belgian hops. Brewery CEO Xavier Van Honsebrouck firmly states that this Tripel is as solid as a castle, ... [ more ]
Beer Tourism Newsletter Signup
Enter your name and email address on the right and click "SignUp" to join.