Brouwerij Kerkom

Our Belgian friends, Jeroen & Valerie, invited us to go with them to a brewery "open day" today at Brouwerij Kerkom, about 45 minutes from Brussels. The brewery is nestled in the fruit-growing region of Belgium. Orchards as far as the eye can see.

Before we went into the brewery, we took a little walk in the countryside because their infant son, Arthur, had fallen asleep just as we arrived. Since he was overdue for his nap, we wanted to let him sleep for a while, as he would surely be woken up by the band playing in the brewery courtyard. Nice walk. I tasted one of the un-ripe apples from a roadside orchard. Fresh tasting, but very tart!

The brewery is very quaint, several buildings arranged in a rough square with a courtyard in the middle. We grabbed a table under one of the tents. Since Jeroen and I are the only beer-lovers between the five of us, it is easy to order. Our special ladies had diet cokes, Arthur was content with his pacifier, and Jeroen and I had a glass each of the beer that was brewed for this festival in particular: Reuss.

Over the next three hours or so, we tried three other beers, enjoyed some pannenkoeken (Belgian pancakes) and worst (sausages in a bun with caramelized onions), and partook in a tour of the brewery (conducted in Flemmish Dutch). I was surprised at how much of it I understood, though I missed a lot of the minute details. It was just nice to have a look at the brewing equipment. Made me long for the day when I can brew again!

More details about the day

Brewery's web-site

-RP-