The master brewer Lionel Van Der Haegen, who is in the city for the first time, is enamoured by the city’s greenery and vibrant nature. The brewer, who runs Brasserie de Silly, one of the finest breweries in Belgium says, “Back home, it’s always snowing. So it’s great to enjoy this tropical climate for a change. The people here are very warm and hospitable.”
The brewery, run by his family, has been around for centuries and he happens to be the sixth generation to be running it now. “The brewery was started way back in 1850 by my great-great grandfather. Back then, he started a farm along with a brewery. He used to cultivate herbs and malt. He would make in winter and serve it to seasonal workers in the summer. Over time, the brewery gained prominence and so the farm had to be shut down in 1947,” says Lionel and adds, “Since then, the brewery has gone onto become an important part of Belgium beer history.”
Belgium began producing beer as water available there was always contaminated. Sharing his insight on this, he says, “Seeing people fall sick so often, we began making beer. Instead of drinking water, people started drinking beer, which was healthy. Then, they moved on to making specialty beers. Compared to the lager available in our country, these are made of different ingredients, spices and herbs.”
Over the years, Belgium beer has evolved quite a lot. “Technologically, we have equipment’s today that helps us control and maintain the taste of beer. We have labs which helps us know exactly what we are doing,” he says. However, at the core they continue to be a family craft beer, he asserts with a sense of pride.
But the challenge of taking over such an established family brewery and run it was never going to be easy, he says. “My father taught me the trade when I started working here. My cousin learnt it from his father. The entire handing over the bastion was done in a smooth transition.” Now, he plans to expand the business further and export his beers to as many countries as possible while his father only comes to the brewery once in a while to enjoy a beer, he says smiling.
