][1]The 5pm Dining blog had an entertaining evening last week when we met up with Belgian brewer Joris Brams in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Having worked in the brewing industry in both his native Belgium and in Scotland for years, Joris is a man who is passionate about the brewer’s art.
Belgian brewing traditions
Over the course of half a dozen different Belgian brews, it wasn’t hard to share his enthusiasm for Belgium’s brewing traditions.
From Trappist Dubbel to Mort Subite kriek via a punchy, 9%ABV Troubadour Magma, your scribbler had his eyes opened to the glorious variety of Belgian beer styles.
While it was kind of Joris to educate us in the ways of La Chouffe and other brews, the main purpose of our little session was to introduce his own beer: Heverlee, a 4.8% Belgian Pils made with a maize and malt mash to give it sweetness plus bite from some expensive Saaz hops.
While it was very more-ish, I have a confession to make. When I first heard of Heverlee, I thought that it was another new brand from one of the big brewers. While I have no axe to grind with the larger drinks companies, they are not the people doing the most exciting things in beer world at the moment.
Medieval monks
Not for the first time, my assumptions were wrong. Heverlee is Joris’ baby through and through and his beer is derived from a recipe that was originally used by medieval monks at the Abbey of the order of Premontre, just outside Joris’ hometown of Leuven.
These days, Leuven is perhaps most famous for being the home of Stella but the Abbey monks had been producing their own beer since the twelfth century; long before Stella’s ancestors set up in town.
The Abbey stopped production in the sixteenth century after a particularly gruelling trade war with more commercially minded brewers.
A few years back, Joris was blissfully unaware of the brewing history at his hometown Abbey but he did wonder why the monks didn’t brew a beer as many other Belgian monasteries do.
Brewing pioneers
So, Joris knocked on the door of the Abbey and had a chat with the brothers. They filled him in on the history and showed him the old recipe for the beer which was brewed at the Abbey hundreds of years back.
It turns out that the monks had been pint pot pioneers, developing a light, fresh-tasting lager at a time when other Abbeys focused on heavier, darker ales.
The proverbial light bulb went on over Joris’ head. Working with the monks and a local brewer, Joris used descriptions of the ancient beer to create Heverlee; a smooth pint that uses barley, specially selected hops and a much slower, more traditional brewing process than the bigger Belgian brands to restore original Pils bitterness to its taste.
‘This has been a very personal project of mine and one that I feel tremendously passionate about,’ explains Joris. ‘For many years, I wanted to create a beer that reflected the reasons why Belgium became world-famous for beer, using a traditional approach and techniques. It was a happy accident that I’ve been able to do so in a place I’ve known all my life.’
Only brewed in Belgium
While it is brewed in Belgium, Heverlee was launched in Scotland and is being rolled across Europe and further afield over the next few months. Why launch in Scotland?
We’ll let Joris explain:
‘Although I live and work in Belgium, I know Scotland well. It’s a country I’ve got a great deal of affection for and have spent much of my brewing career in.
‘But I always wondered when I was here, why can’t I get a good, genuine Belgian pint? It’s received a great reaction so far and it’s been selling well, so we’re excited about what lies ahead for Heverlee.’