HORAL welcomes Lambiek Fabriek as new member
The High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers (HORAL) has accepted the Lambiek Fabriek brewery from Sint-Pieters-Leeuw as new member. As a result, 10 producers are now a member of HORAL.
“During its meeting of January 23rd, the general assembly unanimously approved the entry of Lambiek Fabriek. I am also pleased to announce that our new member immediately announced their intention to participate in the next edition of the Toer de Geuze in 2021," said HORAL chairman Gert Christiaens. “The entry of Lambiek Fabriek will strengthen the lambic industry as a whole. Within HORAL certain common interests are discussed by the majority of the gueuze producers of the Pajottenland and the Senne Valley and umbrella projects that are useful to our sector are supported, such as the GTS protection at European level of the Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek as well as the Schaerbeek Krieken project. ”
“We brew all our lambics ourselves in a 100% traditional way. The word "Fabriek" (factory) in our company name refers to the street name where it all started. Our first storage room is located along the Fabriekstraat in the Ruisbroek borough of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Since there was not enough space for brewing equipment, we use the kettles of the Belgoo brewery. In the meantime we have established our second, larger barrel warehouse at that location," says Jo Panneels of Lambiek Fabriek. “We expose the brew to the outside air in a coolship above the entrance. Once the wort is cooled, the lambic is pumped into wooden barrels to ferment and mature."
Lambiek Fabriek was founded in 2016 by Jo Panneels and Jozef Vanbosstraeten. Jo Van Aert joined the duo in 2017. At this moment the young lambic brewery has two beers in its portfolio: the Oude Geuze Brett-Elle is made from different, self-brewed lambics, and Fontan-Elle is a mix of fruity lambics that is bottled without the addition of old lambic. In the course of 2020, Lambiek Fabriek will launch some new lambic beers. 65% of their beers are sold in Belgium. The rest is exported to countries in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
In 2019, Lambiek Fabriek produced 600 hectoliters. The total lambic stock is currently around 130,000 liters. Lambiek Fabriek’s lambic is maturing in French oak "barriques" of 220 and 400 liters and in 4,600 liter foeders, which were purchased last year.
The High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers (HORAL) was established in 1997. The association unites most lambic breweries and gueuze blenders in Belgium. Ten producers are members of the High Council: Boon, De Oude Cam, De Troch, Hanssens, Lambiek Fabriek, Lindemans, Mort Subite, Oud Beersel, Tilquin and Timmermans. The main objective of the association is the promotion of traditional lambic beers, in particular Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek. The association also takes initiatives to protect these beers. Every two years HORAL organizes the Toer de Geuze, the open brewery day of the Pajottenland and the Senne valley. The next edition will be on May 1st and 2nd, 2021.
