Farmhouse Ale Quest: The Plot Thickens—Blog Posts 2024

Welcome to the Farmhouse Ale Quest, a blog series dedicated to exploring the world of farmhouse ales. In this series, we'll travel to different breweries, meet the people who make these beers, and learn about the history and culture of this unique style. We'll also be tasting a variety of farmhouse ales and sharing our thoughts on what makes them so special.

Farmhouse Ale Quest: The Plot Thickens: Blog posts 2015-2024

by Lars Marius Garshol

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	77684 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	361 pages

FREE

In this first installment of the series, we'll be visiting the Cantillon brewery in Brussels, Belgium. Cantillon is one of the most famous and respected farmhouse breweries in the world, and they've been producing lambic beers for over a century. We'll take a tour of the brewery, learn about the lambic brewing process, and taste some of their delicious beers.

A Visit to Cantillon

Cantillon is located in the heart of Brussels, just a short walk from the Grand Place. The brewery was founded in 1900 by Paul Cantillon, and it has been run by the Cantillon family ever since. Today, the brewery is run by Paul's grandson, Jean-Louis Van Roy.

Cantillon is a small brewery, but it produces a wide range of lambic beers. These beers are all spontaneously fermented, meaning that they are fermented using wild yeast and bacteria that are present in the air. This gives lambic beers a unique flavor that is unlike any other beer style.

We were lucky enough to get a tour of the Cantillon brewery with Jean-Louis Van Roy. He showed us the different stages of the lambic brewing process, from the mashing of the grain to the fermentation of the beer in wooden barrels. He also explained how the brewery uses a solera system to age their beers. This system ensures that each batch of Cantillon beer is a blend of young and old beers, which gives them a complex and nuanced flavor.

Tasting Cantillon Beers

After the tour, we had the opportunity to taste a variety of Cantillon beers. We tried the Cantillon Classic Gueuze, the Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella, and the Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus. All of the beers were delicious, but the Rose de Gambrinus was our favorite. This beer is made with raspberries, and it has a beautiful pink color and a tart, fruity flavor.

We also had the opportunity to try some of Cantillon's experimental beers. These beers are made with different fruits and spices, and they often have a unique and interesting flavor. We tried the Cantillon Fou Foune, which is made with elderflowers, and the Cantillon Vigneronne, which is made with grapes. Both of these beers were excellent, and we would definitely recommend them to anyone who is interested in trying something different.

Our visit to Cantillon was an amazing experience. We learned a lot about the lambic brewing process, and we tasted some of the best beers in the world. We would highly recommend a visit to Cantillon to anyone who is interested in farmhouse ales or Belgian beer in general.

Stay tuned for more posts in the Farmhouse Ale Quest series. In the next installment, we'll be traveling to the United States to visit some of the best farmhouse breweries in the country.

Farmhouse Ale Quest: The Plot Thickens: Blog posts 2015-2024

by Lars Marius Garshol

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	77684 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	361 pages

FREE