The Brussels Brewery
Some Belgian breweries find their identities intertwined with their city or town of origin, and no brewery is a better example of this than Brasseries de la Senne in Brussels. Yvan De Baets and Bernard Leboucq conceived the idea of a Brussels brewery in 2002. Starting out as Sint-Pieter Brouwerij in the town of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw in 2003, they quickly ran out of room and decided to fulfill their dream of a brewery in Brussels, they named their brewery after the Senne river that surrounds Brussels, and Brasseries de la Senne was born. They brewed themselves at rented breweries until 2010, when they brewed their first beer in their new Brussels location. De Baets and Leboucq love the city of Brussels and have seen a great deal of success as they have become the city’s local brewery.
De la Senne focuses on hoppy bitter beers, which were not common in Belgium at the time, and while they brew beers of many strengths, lower-alcohol beers are their specialty.
Quality, Flavor and Sustainability . . . and Cafés
The finest ingredients and brewing methods, rather than profits, are the obsessive focus of de la Senne. Brewing for quality and flavor have produced both critical acclaim and a loyal following. The brewery also values sustainability, and has invested heavily in protecting the environment. Another passion of de la Senne are the cafés of Brussels – the many local gathering places where people meet, talk and socialize. De la Senne is fueled by passion and a strong local identity in Belgium’s largest city.
The Beers
Zinnebir is Brasserie de la Senne’s founding beer, first brewed in 2002. It is a Belgian-style pale ale with fruity, hoppy and malty notes and a pleasant bitterness. It is 5.8% ABV. Zinnebir is referred to as the Brussels Peoples Ale.
Taras Boulba, one of the brewery’s most popular beers, is a 4.5% session beer, brewed with a healthy dose of noble hops. It is a blond beer with floral, malty and slightly lemony flavors and expresses not only bitterness, but an intense aroma from dry hopping.
Zenne Pils is an unfiltered and unpasteurized craft lager. At 4.9% alcohol, it is brewed with a traditional Pilsner maltiness and the aromas and flavors of fine German noble hops.
La Jambe-de-Bois, at 8.0%, is a hoppy and very drinkable Tripel. Its name means “broken leg.” Its notes of bananas and pears are balanced with spicy and floral hop notes and a clean, dry finish.
Stouterik is a 5.0% Irish-style Stout. Roasty notes and a velvety mouthfeel are enhanced by its dry finish and a touch of bitterness.
Bruxellensis is a tart beer (6.5%) that uses a Brussels Brettanomyces wild yeast (Cantillon). It is uncharacteristically hoppy and bitter, and is very complex. Not as tart as a Lambic, it is a unique beer.
Brusseleir, at 8.0%, is referred to as a hybrid black IPA, falling somewhere between a strong Stout, Belgian Dubbel and a Black IPA. Malty with notes of dark chocolate, caramel, roasty grains and fruity notes, it finishes dry, bitter and very complex.
Saison van der Bruwer (Season of the Brewer) is a old-style spelt saison that is fermented with Brettanomyces yeast and dry hopped. At 5.3%, it is complex, fruity, dry and bitter with a touch of funkiness.
Brussels Calling (5.6%) is a seasonal blonde anniversary beer with fruity notes and an intense hoppy bitterness with floral notes.
Saison de Meyboom (5.5%) is another seasonal beer referred to as a post-WWI Saison to which very ripe pears have been added. It presents a fruity flavor profile with rustic grains and a hoppy dry finish.
Quality without comprise and a focus on bringing back hoppy beers to Belgium are the hallmarks of Brasserie de la Senne. If you can find their beers in your area, buy them! You won’t be disappointed.
