Geel Brewery Museum launches unique new spirit distilled for Tripel beer
The Brewery Museum in Geel (Antwerp Province) boasts a new beverage in its store: a distilled version of what was supposed to be their home-brewed Tripel, a strong pale ale loosely in the style of Westmalle Tripel.
It came about after their previous, now bankrupt, brewer delivered the wrong Tripel. "That one tasted terrible, but we managed to make something better and unique out of it," the brewery museum explains.
Anyone visiting the Geel Brewery Museum soon will be able to purchase a new home-brewed beverage: the J. B. Stessens. It is a spirit that was developed out of another drink the museum brewed itself: the Sint-Amandus Tripel. "We developed that about two years ago, and it was immediately a huge success," explains Ludo Helsen, chairman and owner of the Geel Brewery Museum's collection.
In fact, the Tripel was such a success that additional orders soon had to be made. "Initially we had brewed 500 litres, but we were looking for a brewer who could supply and brew larger quantities". Helsen and his co-brewer found a brewery in West Flanders. "But after a first perfect delivery, things went very wrong: only 1 pallet of the beverage materialised, a second had been sent to South America by mistake.
Brewer goes bankrupt
Moreover, the drink that did make it to the museum turned out to be undrinkable. "I know what my own beer tastes like, even though it hasn't had five weeks to mature. This really wasn't drinkable. So after investigation, it turned out to be a completely different beer." Helsen and his companion soon found out that the brewer was almost bankrupt, and he had sent along a pallet of beer he still had handy. "The beer was in the same kind of bottles, and he had stuck our label on it, so you couldn’t notice that it wasn't actually our Tripel".
Until the brewer was declared bankrupt, Helsen had to keep hold of the beer. "I couldn't possibly throw it all away, so in September last year I got in touch with Domein Walterus, a wine estate in Poederlee (Antwerp Province). They also have a distillery, and there they tasted and smelled the mis-delivered beer. They quickly agreed it was terrible beer but did say they could work on it because of its spiciness."
240 numbered bottles
So it happened: not much later, the J. B Stessens spirit was born, named after a local painter. "I really wanted to call it an 'eau de bière', but the authorities wouldn't let me. It isn’t a gin either, because that is only made from grains." According to Helsen, the drink has a pine-like flavour, with a touch of orange and lemon. "Ideal for a summer evening," he notes.
A total of 240 bottles of the Stessens spirit have been made, all numbered. "The drink is only for sale at our museum, at 40 euros a go. It is a unique drink, so orders are flooding in. What's more, we will also hold a draw among all the buyers to win an extra surprise."
The Brewery Museum in Geel is open two Sundays a month. Admission is free.
