Inside Belgium's bicycle-themed microbrewery
Beer and bikes cross permanent paths at Belgium’s Brewery de Coureur.
The brewery, found in the Flanders city of Leuven, is run by avid cyclist and beer enthusiast Bart Delvaux, and visitors are welcome to simply quaff some cold ones at an establishment that serves as both a taproom and a brewery or opt for a beer tasting in a setting that has cycling reminders throughout it, including some bicycle seats that serve as chairs at the bar, all found in a business that proudly states that it’s “Where Cycling Meets Craft Beer.”
Delvaux says those who sign up for one of his beer tastings may find it’s not what they expected.
“Tasting is more than just taste,” says Delvaux, whose tasting clients are also taught to both view and smell the different beers they’ll sample before doing down the hatch routine.
Belgium native Delvaux spent much of his life working in finance in the United States, learning to appreciate microbreweries in that country before returning to his homeland and then opening his own several years ago.
His return to Flanders also saw him decide to forgo a car, instead relying on a bicycle for transportation, with cycling hugely popular in the region.
Brewery de Coureur now produces about 10,000 liters of beer a year, although it doesn’t bottle its beer, and so its suds aren’t found in stores. (Bottling processes frequently break down, necessitating repair work and so are sometimes more appreciated by engineers than brewers, Delvaux reports.)
Those who are appreciative of Brewery de Coureur’s unbottled beer can take it home, with cans and other containers available on site. Alcohol-free beer is available.
Delvaux — who acknowledges that there was some trial and error when he first began making beer — now teaches brewing at a local school. Visitors to his microbrewery – which hosts a fall Oktoberfest celebration – are greeted with a sign that declares that Life is Brewtiful.
Some of Brewery de Coureur’s beers are available year-round but others are only offered for shorter periods, ensuring that repeat visitors will always find something new.
“Every day is different,” Delvaux reports.
