Social Activities

A visit to the Cantillon Brewery:

In the framework of the ANTS 2004 workshop, the organizing committee invites all participants to discover one of the most characteristic elements of the Belgian culture: Beer brewing! For this purpose, we have organized a visit to the last traditional brewery still operating in Brussels.

Cantillon is a family-run brewery where nothing has changed since 1900 when it was founded. In rue Gheude 56, the Van Roy-Cantillon family still brews LAMBIC according to the local brewing traditions. Lambic is remarkable for being spontaneously fermented. The mash is made from malted barley and raw wheat. The wort, obtained by removing the spent grains from the infusion, is boiled and hopped in a gorgeous beginning-of-the-century copper kettle. The wort is then cooled in an open tun in contact with the air. During this phase, the wort naturally cames into contact with airborne bacteria and wild yeasts. These will be then responsible for the complex and thorough sequence of fermentation phases that make lambic so peculiar. The wort is then pumped into oakwood or chestnutwood barrels where the spontaneous fermentation starts, lasting up to 3 years.

Using a technique similar to dom Pérignon's Champagne method, at Cantillon lambics of different ages are blended to obtain the sparkling GUEUZE. Beside gueuze and plain lambic, the Cantillon range includes also the traditional fruit beers: Kriek, Rosé de Gambrinus, Iris, Vigneronne, St. Lamvinus, and Fou' Foune. All these beers show a complex wine-like character and a dry, sour, and astringent sensation that might surprise at the beginning but never fails to fascinate the attentive drinker, and literally drives beer-lovers from all over the world crazy!

To go to Cantillon, we will meet on Wednesday 8 at 15:30, just after the Best Paper Award announcement, at the main entrance of Building S, that is, where the workshop takes place (see the map of the university campus) Admission to the brewery and one glass of beer tasting is provided by IRIDIA.