The Belgian Smaak Podcast
Breandán Kearney talks with some of the most well-known people in Belgian beer, covering beer styles, brands, and the stories behind the breweries. The conversations reveal what makes beer culture in Belgium so special, from traditional brewing methods to modern innovations. It's a show for anyone curious about the personalities and stories that define Belgian brewing.
Afleveringen
EP056 | Generational Handover
In the past year, Belgian family breweries Het Anker and De Ryck have ended generations of family ownership. Family breweries sit at the heart of Belgian beer but the topic of generational handover in these breweries is rarely spoken about in much detail: what it means to inherit a brewery, to carry a family name forward, and to take responsibility for something that existed long before any of us
EP055 | Recognition
2026 will mark the ten-year anniversary of the UNESCO recognition of Belgian beer culture as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity (the only country in the world to do so). The behind-the-scenes story of how Belgium pulled it off—with plot twists and political wrangling and strategic compromise—demonstrates the essence of the country's character: ruthlessly pragmatic and quietly per
EP054 | The Modern Beer Game
The Flemish city of Turnhout is the playing card capital of the world. Turnhout is to playing cards what Kobe is to Japanese Wagyu beef; what Parma is to Italian Prosciutto; what Fez is to leather. The biggest card-producing company in the world, Cartamundi, is headquartered in Turnhout. 1.3 million decks of cards are produced there every single day. If you have ever played poker, performed a magi
EP053 | Mule Head
Joël Galy is the quietly punkish, Swedish-born but Belgian-raised brewer of Brasserie de la Mule. Brasserie de la Mule is a brewery and taproom-slash-music venue that's housed in an abandoned tram shed in Brussels' Schaerbeek neighbourhood. De la Mule specialises in German styles of beer. I sat down with Joël in his taproom for a chat about how he approaches German styles in Belgium, what he's le
EP052 | How Westvleteren 12 Accidentally Became The Best Beer In The World
As we approach the twenty year anniversary of Westvleteren 12's original crowning by RateBeer, Jonny Garrett examines how a strong dark ale produced by a tiny monastery brewery in North West Belgium became the world's most sought-after beer
EP051 | Belgian Beer World
No other country in the world has a national beer experience centre costing €100 million and housed in one of the most iconic buildings in its capital. Today, we're talking to Krishan Maudgal of the Belgian Brewers Federation about Belgian Beer World.
EP050 | Mariage Parfait and the Evolution of Lambic
Claire Bullen meets the Boons — Frank, Karel, and Jos — to find out how their Mariage Parfait Oude Geuze speaks to the legacy of Lambic. Breandán Kearney hosts.
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, ho
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 triumvira
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 Koelsc
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 w
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
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".
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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 an
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 Belgian Beer Me! Tours 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 wo
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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?
EP019 | The One True Beer of the Westhoek
In this episode, we explore the hop growing culture of the Westhoek, with hop farmers, hop queens, and brewers.
EP018 | The Curious Case of Belgium's White Gold
In this episode, Breandán talks to scientists and farmers about Belgium's iconic vegetable—the Belgian endive or "Witloof"—and finds out why it might disappear forever.
EP017 | Chris Vandewalle of Seizoensbrouwerij Vandewalle
In this episode, Breandán talks to Chris Vandewalle of Seizoensbrouwerij Vandewalle about his work as an archivist and author and reflections on regional history as his brewery project approaches its tenth birthday.
EP016 | The King Wants You There
In this episode, Breandán talks to Karl Verhaeghe, Amaury Kervyn d'Oud Mooreghem, and Isabelle Eemans of Brouwerij Verhaeghe about their most important beer: the Duchesse de Bourgogne.
EP015 | Jef Janssens of Brouwerij Hof ten Dormaal
In this episode, Breandán talks to Jef Janssens of Brouwerij Hof ten Dormaal discusses about the origin story of the farmhouse brewery and the challenges his family faced in the aftermath of the fire.
EP014 | Alexandre Dumont of Brasserie Jandrain-Jandrenouille
In this episode, Breandán talks to Alexandre Dumont of Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille about the evolution of hops in Belgium and the resistance he encountered to using Yakima hops.
EP013 | Glenn Castelein of Brouwerij Alvinne
In this episode, Breandán talks to Glenn Castelein about Brouwerij Alvinne's evolution, the introduction and management of the Morpheus house culture, the importance of branding and identity, and the overlapping qualities required to work in special needs education and mixed fermentation.
EP012 | Kristof Vandenbussche of Brouwerij Fort Lapin
In this episode, Breandán talks to Kristof Vandenbussche of Brouwerij Fort Lapin of Bruges about his obsession with making beers for local people as opposed to beer geeks or international markets, the construction of his traditional Belgian ales and the i
EP011 | Samuel Languy of Brasserie En Stoemelings
In this episode, Breandán talks to Samuel Languy of Brasserie En Stoemelings about video games and brewing challenges in Brussels.
EP010 | Olivier De Brauwere of Brussels Beer Project
In this episode, Breandán talks to Olivier De Brauwere of Brussels Beer Project about how they built a community around their brewery.
EP009 | Jean Van Roy of Brasserie Cantillon
In this episode, Breandán talks to Jean Van Roy of Brasserie Cantillon about geuze and the politics of lambic.
EP008 | Yvan De Baets of Brasserie De La Senne
In this episode, Breandán talks to the co-founder and brewer at Brasserie De La Senne, Yvan De Baets, about the beers and how they encapsulate the spirit of a city.
EP007 | Jean Hummler of Moeder Lambic
In this episode, Breandán talks to Jean Hummler of Brussels beer café Moeder Lambic about the city he now calls home, his opinion on various groups within the Belgian beer world and why he continues to 'fight' against what he calls 'the industry'.
EP006 | Frank Boon of Brouwerij Boon
In this episode, Breandán talks to Frank Boon about the evolution of lambic, family elements of his business and the establishment of legal terms in Belgium to define oude geuze as apart from geuze.
EP005 | Nino Bacelle of Brouwerij De Ranke
In this episode, Breandán talks hops, bitterness and influence with Founder and Brewer of Brouwerij De Ranke, Nino Bacelle.
EP004 | Joris Cambie of Hop Farm Brewery 'De Plukker'
In this episode, Breandán talks to the hop farmer and brewery Joris Cambie of De Plukker about life as a farmer, his introduction to beer and the travel experiences which changed his life.
EP003 | Armand Debelder and Michaël Blancquaert of Drie Fonteinen
In this episode, Breandán talks to Armand Debelder and Michaël Blancquaert of Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen about the difficulties they have overcome, the challenges of producing one of the most unique styles in the world and their succession strategy.
EP002 | Rod Tod and Jason Perkins of Allagash Brewing Company
In this episode, Breandán talks to Founder of Allagash Brewing Company, Rob Tod and Brewmaster, Jason Perkins about what has inspired them about Belgium's beer culture and how the country has shaped their own personal story as an American brewery.
EP001 | Rudi Ghequire of Rodenbach Brewery
In this episode, Breandán talks to the Site Manager at Rodenbach, Rudi Ghequire about developments at the brewery in his lifetime, what makes Rodenbach unique and his hopes for the style generally.
