- Limetree
The Belgians Are Coming, The Belgians Are Coming
Belgian brewers launched an all-out offensive in early May with events in Miami, FL and Washington, DC to kick off Belgian Beer Week.
The venerable Belgian Brewers Guild spearheaded a phalanx of 70 brewers and their personnel along with Knighthood board members.
The highlight was a knighting ceremony held at the Belgian Ambassador's Residence in DC with 24 Belgian brewers set up in the garden of the ambassador's stately mansion in Georgetown.
Knights of the Brewers Paddle and the new Honorees; Jeannine Marois of Mondial de la biere is greeted by Olav Blancquaert, Secretary of the Knighthood; Tony Forder with fellow Knight Mary Guiver of Whole Foods; Chimay's Bobo with Tom Peters of Monks Cafe.
18 new inductees were welcomed into the Knighthood of the Brewers Paddle, honored for their contributions to Belgian beer – distributors like Jerry Sheehan of Sheehan Distributors, retailers like Nima Hadian of Shangy's, PA, Suzanne Schalow of Beer Cellars, and Greg Engert of Church Key, DC, and others in the marketing and restaurant world.
Many familiar faces were in the invitation only audience – Tom Peters of Monks Cafe, Luc "Bobo" Van Mechelen (the face of Chimay), my old Brooklyn buddy Rob Hodson of Sheehan, Rich Hamilton and the Merchant du Vin crew, and other importers new and old.
Master of Ceremonies Alan DeLaet (Huyghe brewery, Delirium Tremens), told the assembled that it's time to re-establish the traditions of Belgian Brewing in the US with their strengths of quality and consistency. He also said it's time for US brewers to stop using the term Belgian-style.
And with American craft beer seemingly taking a pause – volume was down 6% last year – the timing could be right.
A Belgian Beerfest open to the public was held Saturday May 6 in DC.
The Who's Who of Belgian Brewers:
BOON Est. 1978) - Karel Boon, 2nd Generation Owner
CHIMAY (Est. 1862) - Pierre Hensenne, Export Director
CORNELISSEN (Est. 1859) - Mike Wildemeersch, Export Director
DE BIE (Est. 1992) - Nicolas Tjoen, Founder/ Owner
DE BRABANDERE (Est. 1894) - Albert De Brabandere, 5th Generation Owner
DE HALVE MAAN (Est. 1856) - Xavier Vanneste, 6thGeneration Owner
DILEWYNS (Est. 2011) - Claire Dilewyns, Founder/ Owner
DUBUISSON (Est. 1769) - Vincent Carton, Sales Director
DUVEL MOORTGAT (Est. 1871) - Bobby Dykstra, VP of Sales & Marketing
HET ANKER (Est. 1872) - William Leclef, 6th Generation Owner
HET NEST (Est. 2015) - Bart Cuypers, Founder/ Owner
HUYGHE (Est. 1906) - Alain DeLaet, 4th Generation Owner
JOHN MARTIN (Est. 1909) - Jonathan Martin, 3rd Generation Owner
KEREL (Est. 2017) - Charlotte De Cock, Founder/ Owner
LEFEBVRE (Est. 1876) - Peter De Lausnay, Sales Director
LINDEMANS (Est. 1822) - Dirk Lindemans, 7th Generation Owner
RODENBACH (Est. 1836) - Rudi Ghequire, Brewmaster
ROMAN (Est. 1545) - Lode Roman, 14th Generation Owner
SAINT-FEUILLIEN (Est. 1873) - Edwin Dedoncker, General Manager/ CEO
SILLY (Est. 1850) - Lionel Van der Haegen, 6th Generation Owner
SINT-BERNARDUS (Est. 1946) - Marco Passarella, Sales BREW SOCIETY (Est. 2017) - Bjorn Desmadryl, Founder/ Owner
THE MUSKETEERS (Est. 2000) - Stefaan Soetemans, Founder/ Owner
VAL-DIEU (Est. 1997) - Pierre Mottet, Export Director
VAN STEENBERGE (Est. 1784) - David Wagnon, Export Director
VANHONSEBROUCK (Est. 1900) - Marc Schrauwen, Sales Director
VERHAEGHE (Est. 1880) - Amaury Kervyn, Export & Marketing Director
WESTMAL LE (Est. 1836) - Johan Du Bois, Export Director & Marketing Director
TER DOLEN (Est 1994) - Mieke Desplenter, Founder/ Owner