Showing posts with label Poechenellekelder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poechenellekelder. Show all posts

22 July 2023

Brussels 2023 - revisits

GIST
GIST, Poechenellekelder, In 't Spinnekopke, Booze 'n Blues, Brasserie Verschueren, Brasserie de la Union and La Brocante were revisited between Sunday 2 July and Wednesday 5 July 2023 after four days in Antwerp.


GIST

Located at Place de la Vieille Halle au Bles 30, up the Rue du Chene from Poechenellekelder, GIST has become a regular visit due to its closeness and the fact that cask ale is offered from two handpumps at the far end of the bar.
On the Monday afternoon, Tim met up with Mark, David, Les and Graham at a table by the front window and ordered Hoppy Blonde by Bobbi Brewery from Ittre, south of Brussels. With happy hour from 17h - 19h daily offering a one euro saving 'sur les pintes', Tim next ordered a 'pint' (50cl) of locally brewed Pale Ale by Drogenbos (7.20 euros) served by handpump. Music playing included tracks by Buffalo Springfield and Led Zeppelin.
It was nice to find Geoffrey behind the bar again and hand him a copy of the autumn 2022 Ullage magazine which included a mention of my previous evening visit to GIST. Geoffrey explained that the two handpumps function in different ways and when pouring it's only possible to keep the nozzle at the base of the glass with one of them.
See Tim's Threads post for more photos including glasses of the Bobbi and Drogenbos beers: https://www.threads.net/@timofnewbury/post/CvAhJKOseXH

Poechenellekelder

Just follow the signs to Mannekin Pis to find Poechenellekelder on Rue du Chene.
We found a table upstairs from the entrance in a room that was less busy than the outside area.
The annual visit here always includes a meal consisting of a large dish of lasagne. The limited range of draught beers is complemented by a large list of Belgian beers. Having enjoyed Val Dieu Cuvee at Het Souke in Antwerp, Tim chose a 33cl bottle of Val Dieu Triple, served in a branded chalice glass.
See Tim's Threads post for more photos including Mannekin Pis and the Val Dieu Triple at Poechenellekelder: https://www.threads.net/@timofnewbury/post/CvAmYIfMtvJ

In 't Spinnekopke

Retaining its symbol of a spider's web, In 't Spinnekopke is under new management since my previous visit with West Berkshire CAMRA friends in February 2015. Sven & Esther took over with Jonathan as co-partner and Thomas as chef. It now offers excellent value and we were lucky to secure a table by arriving fairly early on the Tuesday evening.
All the Belgian dishes on the menu were tempting and the beer menu was also impressive offering four draught beers and 22 bottles / cans including Trappist beers, and many from Brussels breweries including Brasserie de la Mule, Brasserie de la Senne, Vandekelder and Tipsy Tribe.
For more photos including menus and dishes see Tim's Threads post: https://www.threads.net/@timofnewbury/post/CvCUopmsK5o

Booze 'n Blues

Just a short walk away and our next stop is Tim's old favourite also dating back to the 2015 visit - Booze 'n Blues. Although the recently extended terrace was busy, three of our group found a table there while Tim sat at a table indoors, just the other side of an open window from them. 
This was also the closest table to the Rock-Ola jukebox and once Tim discovered it was on free play this early in the evening he would request a new selection, using the relevant chunky red button, just before each song ended.
As the Brasserie de la Senne branded terrace umbrellas suggest, the bar stocks a wide range of their beers with Zenne Pils, Brussels Calling IPA, Jambe-de-Bois Tripel, ZinneBir Blonde and Taras Boulba Session Blonde on draught as well as several spirits. Tim enjoyed unfiltered Zenne Pils on this visit.
For more photos including one of Tim's juke box selections (Timmy Thomas - Why Can't We Live Together), see his Threads post: https://www.threads.net/@timofnewbury/post/CvCbZM7MD1U

Brasserie Verschueren

Tuesday 4 July 2023 was our last full day in Brussels and after a first visit to Au Daringman we took the Metro from Sainte Catherine to Parvis Saint Gilles. Brasserie Verschueren is only a short walk from there (providing you leave from the exit that leads to the main entrance next to Broebbeleir and not the entrance in Rue de Hotel des Monnaies).
The art deco interior dates from 1935. Also mentioned in the 'Our history' page of the Brasserie's website is that it was one of the bases of the Resistance during the Occupation. The board at the far end with moveable coloured plates for football teams had space for scores to be chalked up.for each match.
The limited beer menu includes draught Verschueren Saison (brewed by De Ranke) and Verschueren Tripel (brewed by Brasserie de la Senne) in bottles - enjoyed by Tim on this occasion. It's possible to take away a four pack of Tripels.
For more photos including the metro station and church of St Gilles near the bar, see Tim's Threads post: https://www.threads.net/@timofnewbury/post/CvC8Iv0MlBk

Brasserie de l'Union

David, Graham and Mark - before we went inside
At the eastern corner of the broad Parvis St Gilles pedestrian area is Brasserie de l'Union, another bar with connections to Royale Union Saint-Gilloise football club.
The spacious brasserie is simply furnished and features colourful stained glass on the side windows and multiple black and white photos above the bar. Wearing a blue USG shirt, a top fan of the football club chatted with us. Tim took a break from Belgian beer and ordered a coffee here. This would be a hangover free trip!
For more photos including one of our new USG friend, see Tim's Threads post: https://www.threads.net/@timofnewbury/post/CvDE4D9sc4D

La Brocante

First visited in February 2015 before a Cantillon brewery tour, La Brocante has become a regular bar to visit due to it being within easy walking distance of Brussels Midi station for Eurostar services. The daily flea market in adjacent Place du Jeu de Balle may be of interest but note that it closes down in the afternoon.
There is a good beer range and the baguette 'sandwiches' are ideal for lunch. It may be resting on its laurels a bit as the prices are not that cheap for a cafe relying on market trade and the service always seems slow but the staff really cannot be faulted and it was a pleasure to watch the day's menu being freshly chalked up on the blackboard ending with red chalk emphasising Ni Frites, Ni Gaufres (waffles)! Another blackboard, behind the bar, was paintstakingly chalked with flags and text to show in French and English (but not Dutch) that the beer menu is available online using a QR code. This includes a range of Gueuze and Kriek. 
On his last day in Brussels, Tim enjoyed an Orval with his ham and cheese 'sandwich'.
Tim's main grip on this visit was that the only music played was by ABBA and after David's departure and Mark's arrival he persuaded Graham to make a first visit with him to nearby CHAFF where the music choice was more contemporary and the beer range included more Brussels brewed beers.
See also the companion blog post:Brussels 2023 - first visits for more details of CHAFF and other excellent establishments in Brussels.

22 July 2022

Beer in Brussels - Sunday 3 July 2022

 

Simon and Tim travelled from Antwerp to Brussels Midi by train and then walked through a busy Sunday market and then along Avenue de Stalingrad to reach Cafe Bebo at its northern end, where it joins Place Rouppe.
While Tim checked into economical and nearby Hotel Barry, Simon enjoyed a glass of Duchesse De Bourgogne at a pavement table. (Simon's luggage had already been deposited at the station in readiness for his evening departure by Eurostar to London).
It is only a short walk from Place Rouppe to Place Fontainas.

Tim's first beer in Brussels would be served inside at Moeder Lambic (Fontainas) where it was not busy and the background music was mainly Europop.

While Simon (above) enjoyed a glass of Quetsche Tilquin, Tim enjoyed a glass of Troubadour Magma NEIPA. These were poured from two of the forty or so taps.

There are now two banks of taps at the back of the bar and two more banks on the bar itself. 

With so many taps for a wide choice there are few bottles listed on the daily beer menu.

It is now 'bar service' and it appears there are no longer any handpumps at Moeder Lambic for cask beer. Some seats near the entrance have been removed to make way for a raised and tiled space, perhaps intended as an open storage area? 

Moeder Lambic (Fontainas) must surely be an essential destination for any beer enthusiast's Brussels visit.

With an evening train to catch, Simon was keen to visit nearby Poechenellekelder and enjoy a lasagne meal in advance of our friends, who were catching a later train from Antwerp to meet up with us at Brasserie de la Mule.

Situated near the Mannekin Pis tourist hotspot, all the tables in the courtyard were taken so we sat inside, near the stairway leading up from the entrance, with music from a talented singer-guitarist just outside providing a good background.

From the extensive beer menu, Simon chose Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers Oerbier and Tim chose Orval (after finding that V Cense from Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille was not available).
Our drinks were professionally poured and served with a small bowl of complimentary snacks. Simon could not finish his lasagne, served with a generous basket of bread so Tim also had something to eat before his evening meal! As usual, Poechenellekelder did not disappoint and is another essential Beer in Brussels destination.
On the way to the tram stop to take us to Schaerbeek, we walked up Rue du Chene and passed Gist and the statue of Jacques Brel at Place de la Vieille Halle au Bles. Tim would revisit Poechenellekelder and Gist in the evening. 
Tram 92 runs from Palais to Pogge and we arrived at Brasserie de la Mule, 95 Rue Reubens, soon after 5pm.
The building was once a tram depot and stable for the horses that once pulled them. The courtyard furniture is made from wooden pallets and cable drums. Tim's first beer (above) was Straight Saison (6% ABV) served in a tall wheat beer style glass with good value at 5 euros for 50cl.
It was good to meet up again with the 'usual suspects' from Antwerp although Dave had travelled on to Amsterdam instead. Out of service trams are still stored behind the old tram depot - as visible in the photo.
Inside, the Bar de la Mule is a large space with a vaulted ceiling and seating areas at both ends. Table football can be played at the end which leads to the courtyard at the side.
Brewery vessels and the canning line can be seen before entering the bar area and when leaving. 
With a train to catch, Simon was the first to leave. Before the rest of us left at 7.30pm there was time for another tall beer (an amber coloured Hefe Weisse Naturtrüb for Tim).
There was also time to speak to Guillaume who had single-handedly managed the bar all day. Tim left a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA Ullage magazine with him for customers to read.
Note that live music and other events are often held at Brasserie de la Mule and event details are updated on Facebook.
A photo opportunity for Tim (Thomas) as the group of four reached Thomas tram stop, at the junction of Rue du Progres and Avenue Philippe Thomas.
Tram 3, south towards Churchill, would take us to Beurs. Esplanade is the northern terminus on this route. Presenting an enabled contactless bank card to the reader onboard charges 2.10 euros for an hour's travel on the STIB-MIVB network. 
We passed some Tintin street art in Rue de l'Etuve, just south of Rue du Lombard, as we approached Poechenellekelder.
Tim was happy to revisit Poechenellekelder and to sit outside this time.
He chose Moinette for his first evening beer. This time there was no complimentary bowl of snacks to nibble. This Brasserie Dupont 8.5% ABV flagship beer was created in 1955.
Here's a photo of Tim's lasagne at Poechenellekelder from a 2019 visit. Once again it was a popular meal choice. Unlike the afternoon visit, there was no basket of bread accompaniment on this occasion. It was generous of Richard to pay for all our meals. He was feeling rich after patting a different pocket while at Brasserie de la Mule and discovering that the wallet which he had thought had been pickpocketed, while on the tram to Schaerbeek earlier, had not been stolen after all!
With its collection of wooden puppets, there is always something unusual to photograph on the route to the toilets at Poechenellekelder. These are reached after negotiating stairs up from the entrance and then down to the basement from bar level. 
It was deja vu again for Tim as the group walked up Rue du Chene but this time we would find a table inside Gist which was dimly lit. It was good to see a handpump in action here even though not placed in the most ergonomic position on the bar!
There have been several changes since a previous visit to Gist in 2019 when it was run by Jenlain and Jody - see previous post. The loud music from vinyl records has been toned down and the decor has changed.
The new decor includes cymbals as shades for lighting fixtures.
Gist is now an Untappd verified venue and details of available beers can be checked online. 
Tim received a 'Gist Brussels Family' badge after checking in his first beer (Blanche Cassis by Drogenbos) on the Untappd app (as timofnewbury).
Despite its name, Urine a 7% ABV DIPA collaboration between Brasserie du Borinage and Bastard Brewers tasted good and was served in a can shaped branded glass.
Although Gist was not busy later on, the helpful staff kept the bar open until the advertised closing time of midnight on Sunday.
Note that a range of Brasserie de la Mule canned beers, with colourful labels by AMMO illustration, are available at Gist.
Gist has become another essential Beer in Brussels bar to visit, especially for craft beer enthusiasts!


The regularly updated Brussels Beer City blog by Eoghan Walsh has more news about beer in Brussels and is highly recommended.