Bring your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues and join Carien for a delicious Winter Beer tasting. When it’s cold, dark and even wet ouside, winter beers will surely lift your spirit. Enjoy a special afternoon or evening in the cozy Hoppiness tasting room. You’ll get four winter beers with a delicious food pairing each. Carien will tell stories about the beers, the brewers and many other beer related fun facts. Towards the end of the tasting we will do an exciting quiz! The winner gets a prize to take home! This year we’ll have different themes to our tastings & tasting room
31 Oktober – Halloween edition
28 November – Autumn & Winter beers
11 & 12 December – Christmas & Winter beers
21 December – Winter Solstice & Christmas
And for all our winter beer tastings:
if you come dressed up in a costume, you’ll get an extra beer taster! 😀
Did you know we send out a monthly newsletter? Every month I write a personal newsletter about what I have been up to (beerwise…) and about (our) upcoming events.
This weekend it was the Brussels Heritage Days. Many events, walks and visits were organised in this years theme: Our landscape, our legacy. My amazing colleague Helene and I did several group walks in downtown Brussels around the rich heritage of beer, hosted by Once in Brussels. We put beer in the spotlight as both Belgian and Brussels heritage. During our walks traces of the city’s brewing past and present appeared at every turn. Industrial buildings, street names, cafés, meeting places and hotels. It was really nice to show our groups all these places linked to our Unesco recognised Belgian Beer Culture.
— Special tour for the Belgian Beer Culture Days 2026 —-
This year the Belgian Brewers celebrate that it’s 10 years ago that UNESCO recognized our entire beer culture as “Living Heritage”. This unique status doesn’t protect some dusty piece of history, but a vibrant tradition that is experienced, shared, and passed down anew every day.
Celebrations started with the always epic Belgian Beer Weekend on the Grand Place but festivities continue at the Belgian Beer Culture Bar at the Bourse all week.
Specially for you, we’re organising an exclusive tour at the impressive Maison des Brasseurs on the Grand Place, build in 1698 for the Brussels Brewers Guild.
Book your ticket now and don’t miss the opportunity to see what it looks like on the inside and see the UNESCO certificate with your own eyes.
Belgian Beer Weekend 2026🍻 at the Grand Place of Brussels It started a little wet on Friday but it got quite cozy with 30 people under one umbrella😅 Shared a beer with many lovely people but also managed to not find just as many 🤪 Hope to catch you next year!
Belgium Beer Week 2026 has just started. This co-creation event celebrates Belgian beer culture, a UNESCO recognised intangible cultural heritage of humankind. Bars, brewers and beer guides around the world can register their events at www.belgiumbeerweek.be The week runs from Monday 24th of August till Sunday the 30th of August. Belgium Beer Week is organised by the Beer Idiots.
At Hoppiness Brussels we will host a Tour and Tasting at Maison des Brasseurs and a Beer History Workshop. More information and tickets can be found on Billetweb: https://www.billetweb.fr/multi_event.php?user=186058
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Tasting Chibuku Umqombothi – Cape Town South Africa (Woodstock brewery)
One more post about my time in Cape Town for the African Beer Cup During one of our brewery visits with the group of judges we got to taste Umqombothi.
Fellow judge Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela (Tolokazi brewing) had brought us some Chibuku, a commercial version of this traditional South African beer. This type of beer is made from corn, corn malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water. It is quite low in alcohol (less than 3% normally). It is traditionally brewed by women, for which they actually distance themselves from the rest of the village during the whole brewing process.
This beer has probably been made for thousands of years and is brewed in each tribe/ village according to a recipe that has been passed down for generations. Apiwe is actively trying to keep this traditional beer and the traditions surrounding it alive by organizing talks, masterclasses and brewing competitions. Beer heritage like this is important to keep alive for future generations.
Now for the tasting. As you can see in the photo Umqombothi looks nothing like any modern beer at all. The beer looks grey-white and milk-like and has a heavy and quite sour aroma. The mouth feel is quite thick, creamy and even a little gritty, reminding me a bit of slightly sour thin yogurt, followed by some grainy, corn-like flavours and a little fruitiness. Surprising for sure, but also refreshing and after a few sips to get used to it, I definitely enjoyed it. For me it was very special to taste such a different beer and to learn about its heritage.
A must-try when you visit South-Africa. I surely will try to find some more Umqombothi on my next visit to Cape Town.
In June I had the pleasure of visiting Brasserie Illegaal. This brewery is located in Brussels, to be more precise, in the commune of Forest, close to the Ring-road and Flanders. To get there you can take a bus or train from Brussels-Midi station.
The brewery has an impressive collective of founders: it’s made up of seventeen people, many of them from the art scene. They come together every six months to make decisions together. The official start of the brewery was in 2021, but in the years before, the collective already often brewed beer for their own parties. These were hosted in different locations around Brussels and gradually gained more traction and grew too big to continue like that. An official business was the next step, but the name remained true to their origins: Illegaal.
Art, beer and parties
The Illegaal brewery collective has three main goals: space for art and culture, good parties and high quality but affordable beer to drink at these parties. When you see the brewery these goals are immediately clear. Every wall is decorated with graffiti, the brewery is state-of-the-art and there is ample space for dancing, concerts and relaxing. The building has two entrances, as was envisioned by the owners. One for the brewing and one for the parties. The cute French bulldog from the logo was found relaxing on the curtain outside the party entrance, waiting for the next party for sure.
The brewery
During our visit we were shown around by the brewer and one of the founders, they were fantastic hosts and answered all our questions. Illegaal brews on a shiny 20 hectoliter system. The building has a high ceiling made from metal sheets, which gives it a nice, industrial vibe. With the sun on it in summer, brewing will surely be a hot activity.
Most of their beer is brewed for on-site use during the parties and concerts they host, and goes straight to the big tanks that feed the bar. The rest of the beer is canned, for which they use a Canadian canning system. All cans have original art on the labels, made by one of the founders or other artists. Their beer cans can be found in beer shops all over Belgium and even further. The fermentation tanks are 500 liters and they brew 2-3 times per week. They pasteurize their alcohol-free beer and the Club Rate Mate, but not the rest of them.
The beers all have to be high quality, but easy drinking and not too crazy as that is what their customers like. After the very nice tour we tasted several of their beers and were definitely impressed. The Piels lager for instance is lagered for 10-12 weeks and this is well reflected in the taste. Their Social lager is lagered for 8 weeks. Definitely no short-cuts here! We also enjoyed the Raison saison, the Khop Killer neipa and the Tropicaal ipa. Special mention for their alcohol-free beer 6 Roses. Made in house with special yeast and absolutely delicious.
Illegaal brewery hosts parties every weekend, find the event list here, and I was told there generally is someone there if you want to drop by during the week to buy or drink some beers.
Brasserie Illegaal Rue Bollinckx 300 1190 Bruxelles
This Sunday is the premiere of our brand new workshop around the history of Belgian beer. With examples of beers from the past and present, we will show you how beer changed throughout the 20th and 21st century.
Belgium is the only country in the world with a UNESCO Intangible Heritage Certification for Beer Culture, awarded in 2016. To celebrate 10 years of this special recognition Hoppiness will host a special beer tasting workshop around beer history. We will take you through the history of Belgian beer, illustrated, of course, with delicious beer tasters taking you through the changing beer flavours of the 20th and 21st century and even before that!
You will learn things like:
What beers did people drink around 1900?
Which beers from 100 years ago are still around?
What is an Abbey beer and what is a Trappist beer?
Why do the Belgians have so many different beer glasses?
Which beers can age well and why?
We will also do a comparative tasting between a young and an aged Orval, so you can discover what happens during the aging of this beer.
Carien will spoil you with tasty beer samples and delicious snacks.
Wow! What an incredible honour and privilege to have been part of the team of beer judges for the African Beer Cup. I’ve had a fabulous time in Cape Town and am feeling very lucky and incredibly thankful for all those magical moments in the past week and the amazing new beer friends I made. A big thank you to Lucy Corne and her team for the fantastic organisation! You guys are the absolute best!! 🤩
Hoppiness is all about good craft beer and having a good time. Brussels and Belgium have amazing breweries and we’d like to share our best beer discoveries with you so you can experience Belgian beer culture in the best way possible.
Hefe Weissbier (5.4%) brewed by Bay. Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephaner in Freising (Germany)
You can't go wrong with this beer from the oldest brewery in the world! Their story started nearly a thousand years ago, in 1040.
This wheat beer has yeasty aromas like clove and banana, a beautiful head of foam and a rich and grainy body. Prost!
Juicy neipa (5.7%) brewed by Loncium brewery in Mauthen (Austria).
A well made beer with a lovely aroma of pineapple and mango. The mouthfeel is juicy and creamy, it has a proper bitterness and a lot of fruity hoppy flavours. The can is nicely decorated with a variety of cartoon characters.
Loncium is the ancient Celtic name for the village of Mauthen.
#loncium #beerstagram #instabeer #ipalovers #neipa
Dubbel (6%) brewed by Brouwerij Fort Lapin in Brugge (Belgium).
This well made brown ale has a nice aroma of roasted malts. The taste is semi-sweet, with notes of toasted bread, syrup, roasted grains and a hint of red fruit.
Stonehenge lager (4.3%) brewed by Stone Daisy Brewery in Salisbury, Wiltshire (UK).
Visited Stonehenge this summer and brought back this beer as a souvenir. It's a golden lager made from 5 different malts resulting in a lovely biscuity flavour, the hops give it a crisp freshness with some floral notes. Definitely a nice souvenir😊
La Choulette Triple ambree (9%) brewed by the La Choulette brewery in Hordain (France).
This triple is brewed using a selection of pale and amber malts, spices and aromatic hops. The result is a classic triple style beer with a lot of flavour. It has a generous head and releases a pleasant aroma with notes of spices and caramel. The maltly base is rich, grainy and sweet and it has a well rounded bitterness in the finish.
The brewery is one of the oldest still-operating breweries in the Nord of France. Born from the merger of two farmhouse breweries established in the late 19th century, it has since upheld the region's rich brewing tradition.
This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Modeste Bierfestival in Brouwerij De Koninck (Antwerp). The setup was partially in the brewery itself this year, due to the construction works outside.
Lots of great breweries and their brewers were present, but I sadly did not have the time to visit them all. I enjoyed delicious beers from Boerenerf, Vissers, Uncharted, Galea and Dame Jeanne and some others I forgot to photograph. 😅
Thank you ABC for hosting another great edition. Until next time!
Bock beer (6.5%) brewed by Brouwerij Lindeboom in Neer (the Netherlands).
Now that autumn has officially started it's time to enjoy some of my favourite Dutch beers again: herfstbok 🍁🍂
This is a great example of the style, made from 5 different malts which gives it a complex and tasty body. Roasted malts, notes of bread, caramel and a hint of honey sweetness. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of this #bockbeer which is definitely a special milestone. Yum!👍
#beerstagram #lindeboombier
#dutchbeer #bokbier
La Renaissance Grand Cru barrel aged IPA (7%) brewed by Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar in Baarle-Hertog.(Belgium).
This classic dry hopped English IPA was #barrelaged for several years on white Burgundy barrels.
The result is special for sure! The aroma is quite vinous with hints of fruitiness. The taste is wine-like as well, with notes of wood and malts, but it also still has a lot of presence of hops, especially in the bitter finish. Yum!
Open Brewery Days at Orval 2026 *
Such a beautiful day, I really enjoyed visiting the brewery and finally trying the green Orval, which is only dry hopped and doesn't have any brettanomyces. Definitely a visit I would do again🤩
#orvalleke #trappistbeer #breweryvisit #trappistale #orval
Hefe Weissbier (5.4%) brewed by Bay. Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephaner in Freising (Germany)
You can't go wrong with this beer from the oldest brewery in the world! Their story started nearly a thousand years ago, in 1040.
This wheat beer has yeasty aromas like clove and banana, a beautiful head of foam and a rich and grainy body. Prost!
Juicy neipa (5.7%) brewed by Loncium brewery in Mauthen (Austria).
A well made beer with a lovely aroma of pineapple and mango. The mouthfeel is juicy and creamy, it has a proper bitterness and a lot of fruity hoppy flavours. The can is nicely decorated with a variety of cartoon characters.
Loncium is the ancient Celtic name for the village of Mauthen.
#loncium #beerstagram #instabeer #ipalovers #neipa
Dubbel (6%) brewed by Brouwerij Fort Lapin in Brugge (Belgium).
This well made brown ale has a nice aroma of roasted malts. The taste is semi-sweet, with notes of toasted bread, syrup, roasted grains and a hint of red fruit.
Stonehenge lager (4.3%) brewed by Stone Daisy Brewery in Salisbury, Wiltshire (UK).
Visited Stonehenge this summer and brought back this beer as a souvenir. It's a golden lager made from 5 different malts resulting in a lovely biscuity flavour, the hops give it a crisp freshness with some floral notes. Definitely a nice souvenir😊
La Choulette Triple ambree (9%) brewed by the La Choulette brewery in Hordain (France).
This triple is brewed using a selection of pale and amber malts, spices and aromatic hops. The result is a classic triple style beer with a lot of flavour. It has a generous head and releases a pleasant aroma with notes of spices and caramel. The maltly base is rich, grainy and sweet and it has a well rounded bitterness in the finish.
The brewery is one of the oldest still-operating breweries in the Nord of France. Born from the merger of two farmhouse breweries established in the late 19th century, it has since upheld the region's rich brewing tradition.
This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Modeste Bierfestival in Brouwerij De Koninck (Antwerp). The setup was partially in the brewery itself this year, due to the construction works outside.
Lots of great breweries and their brewers were present, but I sadly did not have the time to visit them all. I enjoyed delicious beers from Boerenerf, Vissers, Uncharted, Galea and Dame Jeanne and some others I forgot to photograph. 😅
Thank you ABC for hosting another great edition. Until next time!
Bock beer (6.5%) brewed by Brouwerij Lindeboom in Neer (the Netherlands).
Now that autumn has officially started it's time to enjoy some of my favourite Dutch beers again: herfstbok 🍁🍂
This is a great example of the style, made from 5 different malts which gives it a complex and tasty body. Roasted malts, notes of bread, caramel and a hint of honey sweetness. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of this #bockbeer which is definitely a special milestone. Yum!👍
#beerstagram #lindeboombier
#dutchbeer #bokbier
La Renaissance Grand Cru barrel aged IPA (7%) brewed by Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar in Baarle-Hertog.(Belgium).
This classic dry hopped English IPA was #barrelaged for several years on white Burgundy barrels.
The result is special for sure! The aroma is quite vinous with hints of fruitiness. The taste is wine-like as well, with notes of wood and malts, but it also still has a lot of presence of hops, especially in the bitter finish. Yum!
Open Brewery Days at Orval 2026 *
Such a beautiful day, I really enjoyed visiting the brewery and finally trying the green Orval, which is only dry hopped and doesn't have any brettanomyces. Definitely a visit I would do again🤩
#orvalleke #trappistbeer #breweryvisit #trappistale #orval
Super 8 Flandrien (0.0%) blonde brewed by Brouwerij Haacht in Boortmeerbeek (Belgium).
Refreshing and tasty, those two words immediately come to mind when I drink this alcohol-free beer. Malty and grainy but also with a nice hoppy bitterness and some notes of citrus.
(The ingredient list has four E-numbers (colour, stabiliser anti-oxidants). Not something I like to see in beer to be honest.)
Hildegarde Triple (7.9%) brewed by Brasserie Saint Germain/ Page24 in Aix-Noulette (France)
A very straight forward triple this one, full of sweet malty and alcohol flavours with a hint of spices like cloves, but also some sweet orange and a noticeable bitterness. Sante!
Brasserie Saint-Germain was founded in 2003 in the heart of the Pas-de-Calais region, in a small village a few kilometers from Arras. The name Saint-Germain is a reference to the patron saint of their village Aix-Noulette. Since 2022 the brewery is part of the Newbeers group.
La biere de Vincent double (6.5%) created by De Geneughten (the Netherlands).
Got a very nice gift box consisting of different beers with Vincent van Gogh on the label. Of course he isn’t around to make beers 😉 and it’s a mystery who did make this one. It is a very good dubbel beer though! It has a layered maltiness with several malty flavours to discover as well as notes of licorice and spices. I was actually surprised it was only 6.5% as it comes across as a much stronger beer. Nice!
During one of our brewery visits with the group of judges we got to taste Umqombothi.
