The Belgian Smaak Podcast

Breandán Kearney sits down with some of the most high profile people in the world of Belgian beer to discuss beer styles, brands and the stories behind the breweries and to find out what makes beer culture in Belgium so special.

EP049 | Blending Lambic at the Sollenberg Crossroads 05/02/2024

EP049 | Blending Lambic at the Sollenberg Crossroads Through his Lambic blendery Het Boerenerf, Senne Eylenbosch saved his father’s farm, discovered his own identity, and began the next chapter in his family’s storied Lambic heritage. In this discussion, Senne Eylenbosch and Breandán Kearney talk about the things Senne learned working at Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, how he’s conflicted about his family’s brewing heritage, how he blends the way he does, how he feels about now being able to use his family name in his business, and where he sees his place in the Lambic ecosystem. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/31028013

EP048 | Tingles in the Jungle 11/22/2023

EP048 | Tingles in the Jungle In 2020, three young Belgians started a brewery with an ambition to cohesively merge their widely diverging beer tastes—pastoral Belgian ales, traditional English styles, and mixed fermentation beers packed with fruit. They’d have to do it against a challenging backdrop: disinterest from Brussels drinkers in unfamiliar styles, rolling pandemic lock-downs, the fracturing of their original triumvirate, a global energy crisis, and an increasingly cut-throat beer market. In Belgian beer, it’s survival of the fittest: you live by the law of the jungle. In this episode, Breandán Kearney sits down with Félix Damien and Christophe Bravin of Brasserie La Jungle. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/28654533

EP047 | The Belgian Coast 09/20/2023

EP047 | The Belgian Coast Belgium has purchase on a roughly 65 kilometre stretch of North Sea coast. With a cumulative six Michelin stars in restaurants in the region, the coast has a density of just over 1 Michelin-starred restaurant for every 10 kilometres. There are breweries too—at least three, depending on your definition and geographical scope (Brouwerij St Idesbald, Jus de Mer, and Stadsbrouwerij Oostende ‘t Koelschip)—and many cafés, restaurants, and bistros with something to offer your non-Michelin guide reader. These businesses and the towns they occupy are all strung out alongside or straddling the metal tracks of Tram 0, the Kusttram, Belgium’s coastal tramline. 67 kilometres long and comprising 68 stops, the tram has been trundling leisurely between these pleasure centres for 137 years. It’s the longest single tram line in the world. Eoghan Walsh, beer writer and fellow Irishman in Belgium, took the Kusttram the length of the coast to explore its food and drink culture. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/27977037

EP046 | Belgian Beer Festivals 06/21/2023

EP046 | Belgian Beer Festivals Belgium has a rich festival scene. Every single weekend in the year, you could choose between a multitude of music shows, food markets, neighbourhood parties, and cultural shows. Its beer festival circuit is equally rich. From village fairs to international events, Belgians celebrate beer at festivals like few other nations. In this podcast, we’re talking Belgian beer festivals with three guests who organise prominent, but wonderfully different beer festivals in Belgium: Stéfan Cauwenbergs of Billie’s Craft Beer Festival; Bart Vanneste of Bruges Beer Festival; and Jan Machiel van Bragt of the Kerstbierfestival. We talked about the diverse profiles of each of their festivals, how beer festivals in Belgium might be different than in other countries, the challenges and joys of running a festival in Belgium, and how they see the festival scene evolving in the coming years. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/27023766

EP045 | The Lambic Roundtable 05/24/2023

EP045 | The Lambic Roundtable The Lambic Roundtable was an event during the Toer de Geuze 2022 tailor-made for broadcasting in beer bars all over the world, and as you’ll hear from the discussion, we took questions live from bars with strong reputations for Lambic in different countries. Sitting at the Lambic Roundtable with were Gert Christiaens, Frank Boon, Kloris Devillé, and Stu Stuart. During the evening’s conversation, we talked about the challenges of organising such an event after a COVID hiatus, the ways in which HORAL is changing as an organisation, how the Megablend was produced for the Toer, and why the internationalisation of Lambic is so important for its future. We also took questions from the bars and their patrons watching from around the world. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/26923191

EP044 | Jerry Franck, Director of Lambic Documentary, "Bottle Conditioned" 04/26/2023

EP044 | Jerry Franck, Director of Lambic Documentary, "Bottle Conditioned" We sat down with Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Jerry Franck to find out about his Lambic documentary "Bottle Conditioned". /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/26587851

EP043 | Oud Bruin Roundtable 02/22/2023

EP043 | Oud Bruin Roundtable We sat down with Marc Coesens of Brouwerij Liefmans, Rudi Ghequire of Brouwerij Rodenbach, and Alex Lippens of Brouwerij 't Verzet to discuss Oud Bruin, Flanders Red, and Flemish sours. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/25910118

EP042 | Rejecting Boundaries (De Dochter van de Korenaar) 12/29/2022

EP042 | Rejecting Boundaries (De Dochter van de Korenaar) The story of Baarle, Ronald Mengerink, and De Dochter van de Korenaar is one of defying categorisation and rejecting boundaries set for you. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/25393923

EP041 | What's in a Name? 12/05/2022

EP041 | What's in a Name? OMER Traditional Blond from Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste is a highly carbonated, fruity, and dry ale with a pleasant but subtle bitterness. But just how does it communicate the complex story of generational transition in Belgian family brewing? /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/25223940

EP040 | Bart Delvaux and Ine Van Der Stock of Brouwerij De Coureur 10/31/2022

EP040 | Bart Delvaux and Ine Van Der Stock of Brouwerij De Coureur Bart Delvaux and Ine Van der Stock opened Brouwerij De Coureur in 2020, a small brewery and taproom in the Kessel-Lo neighbourhood of Leuven. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/24805503

EP039 | Brussels Beer Cafés 09/22/2022

EP039 | Brussels Beer Cafés The Brussels beer café is an institution that has enjoyed as much acclaim as it has suffered fatigue. This podcast is a panel discussion recorded in a Brussels beer café in front of an intimate live audience. The central question we were trying to answer was whether the Brussels beer café is a doomed relic or a durable icon. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/24320439

EP038 | Who Owns Fries? 08/31/2022

EP038 | Who Owns Fries? Who Owns Fries? Are they French or Belgian? Do those who first created a food own it? Or does it belong to those that perfected it? In this podcast, we go deep into fries: What are they? How does Belgium’s relationship with fries differ to other countries? And why do they claim cultural ownership of these elongated pieces of deep fried potatoes? /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/24217923

EP037 | Belgian Mayonnaise 02/20/2022

EP037 | Belgian Mayonnaise Mayonnaise is known all around the world; a thick, creamy sauce used to dress sandwiches, burgers, and salads. But few nations have taken it to their hearts in the same way as the Belgians. The relationship between Belgians and their mayonnaise is tied up in their fanatical “frituur” culture and in a law which has made Belgian mayonnaise special. But in the face of complex commercial challenges and a generational change in eating habits, can the Belgians preserve their extraordinary mayonnaise heritage? /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/22196366

EP036 | Ford Lee Stuart III (a.k.a. Stu Stuart) of Belgian Beer Me! Tours 01/01/2022

EP036 | Ford Lee Stuart III (a.k.a. Stu Stuart) of Belgian Beer Me! Tours Ford Lee Stuart III, or Stu Stuart as he is better known, is the owner of a tour company called which specialise in fun, smart, and affordable beer tours of Belgium from all around the world. Stu is also a keen student of history and has discovered on his tours that it’s impossible to separate the history of Belgium, and particularly stories of war, from the country’s world renown beer culture. Both are inextricably linked and each offers an insight into the other. Sit back, listen, and enjoy Stu Stuart of Belgian Beer Me! Tours. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/21649604

EP035 | A Year In Review 2021 (with Eoghan Walsh) 12/20/2021

EP035 | A Year In Review 2021 (with Eoghan Walsh) In this Year in Review podcast, I talked with Eoghan Walsh about developments in Trappist beer, the rise of the Belgian Blonde and Golden Strong Ales, toxic work environments in the beer industry, how exciting a time it is for spontaneous and mixed fermentation in Belgium, and who might be the Belgian breweries to watch in 2022. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/21543473

EP034 | Janos De Baets of DOK Brewing Company, Ghent 12/14/2021

EP034 | Janos De Baets of DOK Brewing Company, Ghent Janos De Baets is the Head Brewer and Co-Owner of DOK Brewing Co. in Ghent. We chatted about his self-admitted obsessive personality trait. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/21486341

EP033 | A Little Cake 09/26/2021

EP033 | A Little Cake The town of Geraardsbergen is famous for its association with a small cake: the mattentaart. The cake has a long history and is a source of unifying pride in the town. However, it turns out that the Geraardsbergse Mattentaart is in a precarious situation. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/20603921

EP032 | Reading Between The Lines 08/27/2021

EP032 | Reading Between The Lines The Haspengouw region of gently rolling hills, charming villages, and fertile vineyards has been described as a “beer wasteland”, home to only a few breweries compared to other regions in Belgium. But there has been plenty of activity in the beer scene here in recent years. Just who are the people leading the Haspengouw beer blossom? /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/20281169

EP031 | Cemetery Juice 07/15/2021

EP031 | Cemetery Juice Lieven Cnudde runs Brouwerij Cnudde with his two brothers Peter and Steven. This podcast is about community and resilience and people laying down everything to help those around them. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/19819775

EP030 | Making the Megablend 2021 07/01/2021

EP030 | Making the Megablend 2021 The HORAL Megablend is a special blend which contains Lambic from each of the HORAL members released every two years for the Toer de Geuze. We sit down to talk to Frank Boon about the 2021 vintage. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/19677689

EP029 | Day Two Highlights of the Toer de Geuze At Home 2021 06/29/2021

EP029 | Day Two Highlights of the Toer de Geuze At Home 2021 Listen to the highlights of Day Two of the Toer de Geuze At Home 2021, a series of live-streamed Q&As with Lambic breweries and blenderies. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/19651028

EP028 | Day One Highlights of the Toer de Geuze At Home 2021 06/24/2021

EP028 | Day One Highlights of the Toer de Geuze At Home 2021 Listen to the highlights of Day One of the Toer de Geuze At Home 2021, a series of live-streamed Q&As with Lambic breweries and blenderies. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/19591190

EP027 | How Has Duvel Become So Iconic? 04/01/2021

EP027 | How Has Duvel Become So Iconic? This year, Duvel Moortgat celebrates its 150th anniversary. The company owes much of its success to its Belgian Golden Strong Ale, but how exactly has Duvel become one of the most iconic beers in Belgium? /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/18572294

EP026 | Raf Souvereyns, Pierre Tilquin, and Tom Jacobs 03/26/2021

EP026 | Raf Souvereyns, Pierre Tilquin, and Tom Jacobs What do Raf Souvereyns (Bokke), Pierre Tilquin (Gueuzerie Tilquin), and Tom Jacobs (Antidoot) have to say about terroir, hype, and politics? /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/18479288

EP025 | A New Kind Of Restaurant 03/11/2021

EP025 | A New Kind Of Restaurant Do restaurants in Belgium put as much focus on their beer list as they do on their wine list? Eoghan Walsh reports from Leuven. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/18288425

EP024 | Best Original Cheese 01/28/2021

EP024 | Best Original Cheese An artisanal cheese maker from the Catharinadal cheese factory in Belgium created a new cheese as a romantic gesture for his wife. Just how did it became a world-famous blue cheese that delighted the international cheese community? /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/17731145

EP023 | Charles Leclef of Brouwerij Het Anker 01/26/2021

EP023 | Charles Leclef of Brouwerij Het Anker Charles Leclef is the owner of Brouwerij Het Anker in Mechelen, a key figure in the Belgian Brewers Federation, an elected city councillor, and the founder of a new ideology called "Fairism". We chat politics, business, and beer. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/17701319

EP022 | Looking Deep Inside Your Cave 01/21/2021

EP022 | Looking Deep Inside Your Cave The Kazematten brewery represents the coming together of two prominent families in Belgian beer. It's a side project which has given the members of those two families a way to each chase what was missing in their lives. /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/17633420

EP021 | Family in a Stew 01/14/2021

EP021 | Family in a Stew Flemish Stew is a traditional meat and onion stew made with Belgian beer. Why is it so popular? How is it cooked? And what are the sacred cows for Belgians when it comes to recipe variations? /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/17553254

EP020 | I Once Had A Comrade 12/16/2020

EP020 | I Once Had A Comrade The Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 was one of the most horrific tragedies of the First World War. Do beers which use the battle in their branding constitute a tribute to those that fell? Or is the brewery that produces them using a tragic event as a cynical tool for commercial gain? /episode/index/show/belgiansmaak/id/17215406

The Belgian Smaak Podcast

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