LYS VALLEY

FLEMISHRED-BROWN ALES IN THE

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Flemish Red-Brown AlesA trAditionAl speciAlity oF the lys VAlley

Beer facts

Cycling routes

Recipes

www.rondjeroodbruin.be

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Beers of character

The rivers, cycling routes and art museums are just a few of the many tourism assets that the Lys Valley has to offer. But this is also a region that is renowned for its excellent culinary restaurants, fun little bistros and unique beers!

The latter, especially, is not an understatement. Our red-brown ales tell a story of creativity, craftsmanship and good taste. Of a genuine experience that appeals to everyone, whether they are beer connoisseurs or tourists!

Cheers!

A unique ale

The Lys Valley, which was once home to a thriving flax industry, is also the birthplace of Flemish Red-Brown Ales.

This name is used for sour red-brown ales of mixed fermentation, which are light on the palate. The ales are obtained by blending young high fermentation beer with beer of spontaneous fermentation.

Red-brown secrets

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Medieval craftsmanship

Flemish Red-Brown Ales were first brewed in the Middle Ages. At the time, the main ingredient of beer was a mix of herbs called “gruyt”, not hops. The disadvantage of gruyt was that the beer would spoil faster. That is why it was aged in “foeders” or oak barrels, where it developed slightly sour and fruity aromas.

The brewers would let it age for at least eighteen months before “cutting” or mixing the beer with young beer. In those days, people did not have refrigeration so this slightly sour beer style was considered tastier and more of a thirst-quencher.

did you know…That in the nineteenth century

breweries were also often used as ice factories after the invention of

cooling machines?

A keeper

In the nineteenth century, people mainly drank high-fermentation beer until the invention of refrigeration changed everything. Brewers could finally start brewing low-fermentation beers or pilsner beers thanks to cooling machines. While the low-fermentation beers were very popular, the four artisan brewers, i.e., De Brabandere, Omer Vander Ghinste, Rodenbach and Ver-haeghe, continued to brew their traditional Flemish Red-Brown Ales.

Nowadays these reddish-brown beers are becoming increasingly popular. Their authentic tradition holds international appeal. Brewery visits are on the rise. And no brewery visit would be complete without sampling the product! You can find more information about which breweries you can visit at www.rondjeroodbruin.be.

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The Flemish Red-Brown Ales are the ultimate proof of the traditional craftsmanship of the local brewers of the Lys Valley. While they all belong to the same category, they are all very different in taste. Crisp and tart or full-bodied and sweet, there is something for everyone!

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BreWery De Brabandere This family-owned brewery in Bavikhove was established in 1894 by Adolf De Brabandere, a local farmer. Now, more than 120 years later, the fourth and fifth generation are still running the brewery.

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petrus oud BruinPetrus Oud Bruin is cut beer, made of 1/3 young, sour beer aged in foeders mixed with 2/3 dark young beer. The result is a thirst-quenching ale, with plenty of character and a taste that is reminiscent of wine!

Alcohol percentage: 5,5%Serving temperature: 6-8°C

petrus Aged palePetrus Aged Pale is 100% pure foeder ale. This extremely refreshing ale has a refined, freshly sour taste and a fruity aroma, with plenty of grape. A beer for beer connoisseurs.

Alcohol percentage: 7,3%Serving temperature: 8-10°C

petrus Aged redPetrus Aged Red is a mix of foeder ale and a dark young beer with added cherries. The result is a complex tasting beer with a surprisingly sweet and sour finish. Petrus Aged Red was a hit from the outset because there was simply nothing like it.

Alcohol percentage: 8,5%Serving temperature: 8-10°C

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BreWery Omer Vander Ghinste

The people of Bellegem, near Kortrijk, are rightfully proud of the Omer Vander Ghinste brewery. The brewery’s story started in May 1892. Remi Vander Ghinste bought a house and annexes from a brewer for his son Omer. That same year, the first barrels of “old tripel” were rolled out over the cobblestones of Bellegem.

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cuvée des JacobinsCuvée des Jacobins is a 100% foeder-aged ale. This uncut Lambic-style beer aged in oak barrels for eighteen months. This full-bodied yet sophisticated ale has overtones of vanilla, dried cherry and cocoa. It is generally considered a complex, yet balanced sour ale.

Alcohol percentage: 5,5%Serving temperature: 4-6°C

VanderGhinste oud BruinVanderGhinste Oud Bruin was the brew-ery’s first beer. It was initially marketed as Bellegems Bruin, long before the first Pilsner beers were launched! It owes its flavour to the fruitiness of a high-fermentation beer combined with the mildly sour taste of a spontane-ously fermented beer.

Alcohol percentage: 5,5%Serving temperature: 5-8°C

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BreWery Rodenbach

Say Flemish Red-Brown and most people will immediately think of a Rodenbach beer. The Rodenbach brewery was established in 1821 by Alexander Rodenbach, his brothers Ferdinand and Pedro, their sister Amelia and her husband.

did you know…That the beer head or frothy foam on top of beer prevents

oxygen contact with the liquid to preserve the taste?

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rodenbachRodenbach beers are double-fermented to obtain the ale’s mildly sour flavour. The first fermentation phase is unique because it combines top-fermenting yeasts with lactic acids. Rodenbach is then aged in oak barrels to obtain that unique, fruity flavour.

Alcohol percentage: 5,2%Serving temperature: 6-8°C

rodenbach Grand cruThis mixed-fermentation beer is a blend of 2/3 old beer and 1/3 young beer. This flavour of this tasting beer is tarter than an ordinary Rodenbach. A beer for real beer experts.

Alcohol percentage: 6%Serving temperature: 6-8°C

rodenbach VintageThe Vintage is selected from the foeder that has produced the best beer after two years of aging. It is a 100% matured old ale, with a complex, full, intense and refreshing taste. The soft, sour, fruity aftertaste is lingering and nicely balanced, like a Grand Cru wine.

Alcohol percentage: 7%Serving temperature: 6-8°C

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BreWery Verhaeghe

The Verhaeghe brewery in Vichte has mastered the art of brewing like no other. The history of this small family-owned brewery starts in 1885. The brewery upholds the principle of smaller volumes and high quality, something which beer lovers appreciate.

did you know…The young cyclist Senne Leysen drinks a Rodenbach mixed with two raw eggs before every race? Cycling champion Briek Schotte

only used to put in one egg.

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duchesse de BourgogneThis sweet, fruity ale is brewed with roasted malts and old hops. After the main fermentation and the second lagering, the beer undergoes a third lagering of about eighteen months in oak barrels. Duchesse de Bourgogne has a full, sweet and slightly sourish taste.

Alcohol percentage: 6,2%Serving temperature: 12°C

VichtenaarVichtenaar is brewed with roasted malts, spicy hops, fruity yeast and mild, pure water. After the main fermentation and the second lagering, Vichtenaar undergoes a third fermentation in oak barrels for eight months. This ale has a slightly sour and complex flavour. Its sour taste makes it a perfect thirst-quencher.

Alcohol percentage: 5,1%Serving temperature: 6-8°C

The Flemish Red-Brown Ales are the best proof of the traditional craftsmanship of the local brewers. But they are also the perfect complement for a nice cycling tour. They owe this to their thirst-quenching, slightly sour taste and their low alcohol volume.Passionate cyclists know that the perfect way to recover after a long bike tour is on a sunny terrace with a nice cool Flemish Red-Brown Ale. Here are some ideas for bike tours on the cycling network of the Lys Valley. You can buy the card for € 8 on www.toerisme-leiestreek.be.

Red-brown cyclinG toUrs

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“Monks and Duchesses”A 38-km trail, which runs from De Brabandere in Harelbeke to Verhaeghe in Vichte. En route you can enjoy the lovely landscape, the River Lys and a Petrus Oud Bruin or a Duchesse de Bourgogne.

Start: park in lt.-Gen. Gérardstraat, Kuurne 6 7 › 8 6 › 3 4 › 3 9 › 2 3 › 6 9 › 5 9 › 5 4 › 6 0 › 9 › 5 5 › 8 2 › 7 2 › 9 4 › 1 4 › 6 5 › 5 2 › 5 6 › 4 5 › 4 4 › 4 0 › 9 7 › 2 6 › 3 5 › ( 6 7 )

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“Omer’s trail”Start from the city centre of Kortrijk and follow this 26-km trail through the green fringe to the south of the city. Ride through Bellegem, the village where Omer after Omer is brewed at the Omer Vander Ghinste brewery. Do try a VanderGhinste Oud Bruin en route!

Start: Kortrijk 1302, Begijnhof Kortrijk 5 3 › 7 3 › 8 3 › 9 3 › 1 0 › 1 8 › 8 2 › 9 2 › 5 4 › 3 2 › 6 2 › 3 0 › 3 8 › 1 4 › 6 1 › 7 7 › 5 7 › 8 0 › 9 9 › 5 3

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“Around the city of Rodenbach”This 41-km long trail requires some effort. It runs from Roeselare, along the canal, through villages and the old railway bed, which has now become a cycling trail. Thirsty? Then drink a Rodenbach en route!

Start: polenplein, roeselare 1 › 9 4 › 2 2 › 2 6 › 7 8 › 6 6 › 5 6 › 1 2 › 2 1 › 2 0 › 1 4 › 4 2 › 6 4 › 6 0 › 3 0 › 4 4 › 3 9 › 7 6 › 6 › 1

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Beer and gastronomy, a match made in heaven! In addition to sweet and sour, beer has a third dimension: bitter. This makes it an even more exciting ingredient than wine, whether you are cooking with it or for food pairing.

The Lys Valley has an excellent reputation when it comes to fine dining, with a few Michelin-starred restaurants, several high scores in the Gault&Millau guide and awards for promising young chefs. Restaurants and chefs are rediscovering Flemish Red-Brown Ales, are pairing them with food and you love the results! Take a look at our recommendations at www.rondjeroodbruin.be

Flemish Red-Brown Ales have also inspired our local entrepreneurs. How about chocolate with Flemish Red-Brown Ale, a Rodenbach cake or cheese that was aged in Rodenbach?

Find out how you can add a special dimension to food with Flemish Red-Brown Ale with the following recipes.

Flemish Red-Brown Ales And Fine dininG

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Sorbet of Flemish Red-Brown Ale with brown shrimp© www.streekproduct.be

ingredients for 8 appetizers

› 10 cl water› 60 g caster sugar› juice of ½ lemon› 25 cl Rodenbach Grand Cru› 6 Coeur de Boeuf tomatoes› chives› basil› 2 tbsp olive oil› juice of 1/2 lime› salt and pepper› 250 g brown shrimp

preparationBring the water and the sugar to the boil.Add the beer and the lemon juice and let cool. Pour the mixture into your ice-cream maker and prepare a sorbet. Store in your freezer.Finely slice the chives and part of the basil leaves. Peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Dice them. Add the sliced chives and basil to the diced tomatoes, stir in the olive oil and the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Peel the shrimp. Arrange some of the tomato mixture on a plate and place a quenelle of Rodenbach sorbet on top of it. Sprinkle over the shrimp and garnish with basil leaves, chives and pepper.

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Put together your own Flemish red-BroWn pAcKAGe

Combine a cycling tour, a nice meal and a fun beer tasting during a weekend in the Lys Valley. Find your accommodation at www.toerisme-leiestreek.beWho knows, you might even be able to combine it with a beer activity, such as the annual beer festival in Zwevegem?You can find further information about events in the Lys Valley at www.toerisme-leiestreek.be

An eXtrA: the Rodenbach cocktail

mix 90% Rodenbach Grand Cru 5% Amèr Picon 5% Double Crème de cassis.

Have we whet your appetite? Go to www.rondjeroodbruin.be for more recipes!

did you know…The taste of beer depends on the type of glass in which you pour it? The right

beer glass will create the right head and release the beer’s aromas, so it is a vital

element in the tasting experience.

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Whether you like reddish-brown, blond, dark or amber ales, you will definitely find a beer to your liking in the Lys Valley! An overview of all the breweries:

’t Gaverhopke: www.tgaverhopke.be

Alvinne: www.alvinne.be

Brouwers Verzet: www.brouwersverzet.be

de Bie: www.brouwerijdebie.be

de Brabandere: www.brouwerijdebrabandere.be

eutropius: www.brouwerij-eutropius.be

Gruut: www.gruut.be

Gulden spoor: www.guldenspoor.be

het Alternatief: www.brouwerijhetalternatief.be

o. Vander Ghinste: www.omervanderghinste.be

rodenbach: www.rodenbach.be

sint canarus: www.sintcanarus.be

toye: www.goedendagbier.be

Van honsebrouck: www.vanhonsebrouck.be

Verhaeghe: www.brouwerijverhaeghe.be

BreWeries in the Lys Valley

Colophon

text and contents: Fien Vandenheede en Emmanuel Derdeyn

photography: Breweries of the Lys Valley, David Samyn, Michael Dehaspe, VLAM,

Jan D’Hondt (B.Ad)

layout: Drukkerij Oranje

printing: Lowyck & Pluspoint

responsible publisher: Claude Croes, voorzitter Toerisme Leiestreek vzw,

Engelse Wandeling 2 F4L, 8500 Kortrijk

D/2016/9163/7