A Belgian start-up with a European network mindset

beBeer’s mission is simple but ambitious: It aims to bring together brewers and promoters, local and regional beer lovers, and elected councillors. This makes it possible for visitors to discover activities, breweries to raise their profile, and municipalities to strengthen local economic development. Additionally, it attracts tourism.  “The project has been maturing and in preparation for several years,” says founder Pascal Goergen. “I had to combine my various professional experiences to be able to bring together digital, local, and the brewing world. The aim was to propose something innovative and positive for the local sector and for the brewing tradition in Europe.” The platform is currently available in French, English, Dutch and German, reflecting beBeer’s cross-border ambition from day one. 

More than breweries: mapping the real beer experience

What beBeer catalogues goes well beyond taprooms. Alongside breweries and microbreweries, the platform brings visibility to the wider ecosystem of “promoters.” This includes pubs, brewing tours, brotherhoods, museums, tasting competitions, festivals, and even restaurants featuring beer-based dishes. The result is a practical guide for locals and visitors alike, featuring an interactive map and calendar. These tools include more than 5,000 breweries and promoters for easy navigation. For breweries and organisers, beBeer also offers the ability to create a “brewing ID” page/card. They can share events or products, giving the sector a dedicated, independent place to be found and followed. 

“Brewing communes”: a label built on evidence, not marketing

One of beBeer’s most distinctive projects is its forthcoming “brewing commune” label, awarded with one, two or three hops to spotlight places where brewing heritage is vibrant. Importantly, beBeer positions this as not another generic standard or certification. “Here, there is no ISO or other type of label,” Goergen explains. “It’s about compiling everything related to the brewing world in your commune/city. The beBeer jury can then assess the intensity/presence of brewing in a particular commune.” The assessment is based on 10 objective criteria that guide the jury in awarding hop levels. The model also creates a concrete role for local leadership. Elected officials can become beBeer Ambassadors for their commune. They help connect the platform with local brewers, venues, and initiatives while promoting heritage and tourism. 

What’s next: financing innovation, investors, and a new “phygital” beer tourism layer

Winning the LuxLife award is a milestone but beBeer is treating it as a springboard. Over the coming months, the team’s priorities are clear:

• Creating the right financial environment to accelerate innovation: This strengthens the foundation that allows beBeer to scale responsibly while staying true to its values of independence, passion, diversity, and mutual respect. 
• Opening discussions with investors who share a long-term vision for an independent European brewing network. These discussions support growth, product development, and international rollout.
• Building new digital opportunities for the brewing world, including Web3 experimentation. Efforts focus where real value is created, such as trust, traceability, and community participation. Additionally, a stronger phygital approach links digital discovery to real-world experiences.
• Launching tourism-driven “phygital” events across Europe’s regions and communes. These efforts help visitors discover breweries and local traditions through curated routes, calendars, and on-the-ground activations.
• Announcing the first “brewing communes” by the end of March, marking the first wave of municipalities recognized for their brewing intensity and heritage in multiple European countries. This is a key step in turning the “beBeer in your pocket” idea into a visible, local movement. 

As beBeer expands, its message remains consistent: the goal is not to replace local ecosystems. Instead, it aims to connect them, making Europe’s brewing culture easier to explore and sustain.

Practical info: www.bebeer.app and www.bebeer.org

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Today, beBeer is taking a new step forward by entering into a strategic partnership with our media Brussels Express.

A driving force for beer tourism

At a time when beer tourism is experiencing sustained growth throughout Europe, beBeer in the pocket aims to establish itself as its spearhead. The app does more than just map breweries: it helps travellers discover festivals, brewing communes, craft bars and local initiatives that enrich the region. It is also the same lever for brewers and other players in the sector, who gain visibility among a curious and beer lover audience.

Brussels Express opens its pages to the Europe of beer. For its part, Brussels Express is creating a section dedicated to beBeer. This new editorial space will offer its readers profiles of brewers, reports on local scenes and insights into brewing dynamics across the continent, such as the brand new European network of Brewing Cities and Communes and the associated label. 

Each brewing commune and its local promotors will be given special attention, showcasing the diversity and vitality of European brewing territories.

By partnering with beBeer, the Brussels media outlet is confirming its desire to promote Europe, its traditions and its expertise, particularly in terms of what constitutes a living cultural heritage: beer.

A partnership in the name of common heritage

With this partnership, beBeer gains an essential media showcase to develop its network and establish its European status. Brussels Express, for its part, enriches its content and opens up more to the cultural and economic dimension of beer in Europe.

A partnership that celebrates not only a drink, but above all a shared history, expertise and way of life.

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Available now at www.bebeer.app, this app aims to become the essential companion for craft beer lovers and those curious to discover local brews.

An interactive map to explore more than 5,000 breweries

Designed for mobile use without downloading, the web app makes it easy to locate thousands of breweries and access their news, events and, of course, their beers. Available in four languages (French, Dutch, English and German), it also proposes a brewing calendar and an interactive map to plan your hoppy getaways across Europe.

A European network of brewing communes

At the same time, beBeer is launching a European network of Brewing Cities and Communes, accompanied by a new label for municipalities that promote their brewing heritage. This label, awarded on the basis of 10 objective criteria, distinguishes communes on a scale of one to three hops – similar to the flower-filled communes – according to the richness and diversity of their brewing ecosystem.

An initiative serving local areas

The project is based on a strong territorial approach: it aims to connect brewers, promoters, local elected councillors and beer lovers around a common tool. For local authorities, it is a lever for visibility, tourist appeal and economic development. For brewers and other players in the sector (specialised bars, guilds, hop producers, festivals, museums…), it is a dynamic and participatory showcase. ‘This is not an ISO label, but concrete recognition of a region’s brewing intensity. Sometimes we are unaware of the brewing treasures hidden in our own city,’ explains Pascal Goergen, founder of beBeer.

A call to communes and local councillors

Several European communes have already been contacted for this first phase. The first labels are expected by October. Elected councillors are invited to become beBeer ambassadors, acting as a link between their commune and the local brewing world.

An open and committed community

beBeer is not just an app. It is a complete ecosystem built around three platforms:

• www.bebeer.app: the mobile-first web app
• www.bebeer.org: the project’s showcase website
• www.bebeer.eu: the community of beer lovers

Free, intuitive and collaborative, ‘beBeer in your pocket’ is for everyone: beer lovers, professionals, visitors and elected councillors. The aim? To promote European brewing culture, one pint at a time.

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The principle is simple and participative: Local inhabitants, shopkeepers and other key local players are invited to work together to craft their own beer. The journey starts with a survey in which everyone shares what and how it feels like to live in their particular neighborhood. Then, during a friendly meet-and-greet evening, the participants decide together on the recipe (flavor, taste) and on the design for the label. The sky is truly not the limit when it comes to imagination: these ‘creators’ can imagine a beer inspired by an old local brewery, redolent of flowers, with just that fruity aftertaste or even brimming with local spices… Clearly, anything is possible. They can come up with a watermark of the streets logo, and perhaps clip some unexpected anecdotes from the neighbourhood to enhance the overall experience.

Meet the founders: Bruno and Greg

The Bières de Quartiers adventure was born out of the friendship between Bruno and Greg, two beer aficionados. Bruno, a beer lover since he was a boy, and Greg, a fervent advocate of local synergies, combined their passions to create this unique project together. Their most obvious aim won’t come as a surprise; chiefly, both friends wanted to please our taste buds! But their project fulfills another wish, one that strengthens human ties within and across these neighbourhoods of Brussels. Although they don’t have their own brewing facilities (apart from a 30-litre tank for running their tests), they are proud of their collaborations with partner craft brewhouses.

As stated earlier, the Bières de Quartiers project is indeed based on this collaborative principle of getting locals, shopkeepers and other key players involved in the local community to both imagine and craft their very own beer. Following, are the three main stages of the process: first, local stakeholders are brought together, and a questionnaire is handed out to gather residents’ ideas and preferences for their neighbourhood in particular. Next, during a nice and cozy evening, the participants (not to call them ‘neighbors’) decide together on the ingredients of the recipe for the beer as well as on the design for the label. 
These newly imagined, unique beers are then brewed in partner brewhouses in Brussels such as CoHop in Etterbeek and ILLegaal in Forest. These two places also host creative workshops, with a tasting experience at the end. Finally, the last phase, fermentation and maturation, is carried out in specifically designed 10 or 20hl brewing tanks.

At the core of every project: a strong sense of flexibility and a desire to listen

The project aims at a flexible approach to adapt to and meet the expectations and spending limits of all these ‘neighbors from the blocks’. To reach their target and achieve this goal, several packages have been thought of, offering varied and dynamic services. According to Greg, one of the two founders of the project: ‘We offer three packages to suit everyone’s needs. With the ‘Basic’ package, we offer the project’s essentials: a questionnaire to get local people involved, personalised posters and the production process of the beer. The ‘Support’ package goes the extra mile, offering a bonus workshop led by a zythologist (a beer connoisseur) who will guide you as you discover the world of brewing, and support their journey on social networks to give the project greater visibility. Finally, our ‘Tailor-made ’ package includes a photographer to capture the highlights and a summary video. The participatory aspect of the project is paramount to us. Each district or block decides how it wants to support the project and help define its goals. Some will develop the beer with us, others will use it to strengthen ties or bonds between neighbors or just showcase their little corner of Brussels, their safe haven’. 

A Practical Example: The ‘Quartier de la Levure’ – The Yeast Block

The ‘Quartier de la Levure’ decided to craft its own signature beer for its annual braderie (a lively, community-focused event usually held along the street or in public spaces in Belgium). They decided to buy 500 litres, store them, distribute them deliver and leave the invoicing to Bières de Quartiers. They planned to resell the beer with a margin of €1 to fund a neighbourhood project and even shoot videos/commercials with a few key local players. They finished it to the last signature drop within eight months!

In short, Bières de Quartiers is much more than just an adult beverage. It’s a collective experience that reinforces this sense of belonging to a particular quarter (block), while at the same time promoting Brussels’ traditional know-how.

And why not create the beer of the European Quarter?

Dear Brussels-Express readers, would you be interested in crafting a beer in and around the European Quarter? Imagine a beer that would reflect the heart and soul of our dynamic and cosmopolitan district! Calling out to all beer lovers out there that might be interested, please feel free to reach out through email to contact@brussels-express.eu with the subject line: Quarter Beer. 

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The union that you have never thought about just happened. Maison Dandoy and Brussels Beer Project joined their forces and created a speculoos that tastes of beer and a beer that tastes of speculoos.

Both the brewery and the bakery like to experiment, creating new unique and authentic tastes for their products.

In this new speculoos, made from the spent grain of the beer, the house Dandoy has added touches of almond and cinnamon, « to reveal greedy and autumnal notes, and make the scent of the Indian summer last, » comments the famous family biscuit factory. The beer is light, with golden notes. It is a stout, or « black beer, » with a nice roundness and hints of toasted hazelnut that has been infused with biscuits, giving it cinnamon and clove accents.

« One small step for a circular economy, one giant step for a cookie », comments the brewery on its Facebook page.

Called Tough Cookie, « in homage to the second life offered to speculoos Dandoy », the beer will be sold in Dandoy stores. The cookies, which will bear the same name, will also be available in the Brussels Beer Project sales points.

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On Saturday and Sunday, the third edition of BXLBeerFest craft beer festival took place at Tour & Taxis and attracted nearly 7,000 visitors. An increase from the 5,000 people who attended it in 2018.

« We are very pleased with the improvement because, in any case, attendance should not exceed 10,000 visitors, » said Vincent Callut, one of the organizers. « The return of the participating brewers is very positive. »

For this third edition, the organizers invited about sixty breweries, about half of which are located in Belgium. These are generally young breweries, whose production moves away from the beverages offered by the major brewing groups. Beer from foreign breweries, mostly from Europe and from North America, were present.

Among the audience, visitors from all over Europe, Canada, the United States and Asia could be found.

The festival closed at 8:00 pm on Sunday.

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Just a few steps from Place Flagey and housed in one of Brussels’s modest flat-iron buildings on the corner of Malibran and Scarron, is a beer-lover’s paradise. Since opening in 2012, the Malting Pot has been offering customers over 200 different craft beers, all selected for flavour, originality and quality ingredients.

The premises manage to be cosy and airy at the same time. Stepping into the small establishment, you’ll see simple wooden shelves stocked with attractive bottles and cans of beer you’re unlikely to find anywhere else in Brussels. IPAs, sours, gueuzes, stouts, ales, bitters – these beers come from all over the world. The quirky labels catching your eye are just as artisanal as the beers themselves. Each beer is carefully chosen and the stock is reviewed regularly, meaning there are often new discoveries to be made before they hit the shelves anywhere else.

The counter has the feel of a pop-up bar. The owner, originally from Tehran, studied archaeology and wrote his thesis on the history of beer from Mesopotamia. He’d always dreamt of running a bar or beer store, and after two years working in an unrelated field, he’d saved enough to open a shop and share his passion with the buying public.  If you’re unsure about committing to a bottle of the UK’s Buxton Trolltunga Gooseberry Sour, or you can’t read the Swedish information on the can of Poppel’s Fruit Ale, he will be delighted to give you the low-down on flavour profiles and production methods.

‘I was doubtful when I saw Strawberry Daiquiri on the label,’ he might say. ‘But when I tasted it, it was tangy and not overly sweet. They add real strawberry pulp.’

Need a recommendation of a stout for your carbonnade recipe? This is the place to come: ‘I’d try this Christmas Ale. It’s deep and a bit spiced, but not too sweet.’

With something for all tastes, it’s tempting to settle down, lean into that counter and make a session of it. ‘Maybe I’ll be able to open a bar in the future,’ says our host. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Meanwhile, don’t wait for Christmas to treat yourself.

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Since 1900, when the family business was founded by Paul Cantillon and his wife Marie Troch, Brasserie Cantillon has been brewing lambic beer. In 120 years, the only real change has been a switch to organic ingredients in 2011. A visit will teach you all about the brewing process and give you a taste of some of the 400,000 bottles produced each year.

 

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My first time!

A post shared by Mike « Tasty » McDole (@tastymcd) on May 24, 2018 at 4:16am PDT

Inside you’ll discover a honey-hued interior filled with beer-making paraphernalia. Wooden crates, scorched and branded ‘CANTILLON’, seem to multiply. Labyrinthine corridors are formed from green bottles and oak and chestnut casks and there’s a reverent sense of hush. But make no mistake: this is a working brewery, not a mausoleum. Magic is taking place.

The casks are all at least 40 years old and have previously held French wine, port or Iberian sherry. They are not there for decoration. They are resting, for at least one summer. Vast copper mash tuns are in action and 50 kilo sacks of ingredients are being lugged about, while Heath Robinson-esque conveyor belts twist and turn through the building.

 

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Thanks to our talented friend @ammoamo we’ve got some brand new signage to guide our visitors through the brewery! Ammo has also painted a beautiful new piece for our tasting room (last photo). Silk-screen print versions are available in the shop 😉 Merci Ammo! ❤️🍻 🤗1. Brewing area 2. Mill and Boiler Room 3. Granary 4. Coolship 5a. Barrel room 5b. Barrel room & fruiting tanks 6. Barrel cleaning 7. Bottling 8. Labeling & Cellars

A post shared by Brasserie Cantillon Brouwerij (@brasseriecantillonofficiel) on Mar 19, 2019 at 2:49am PDT

Up in the rafters, tanks named ‘coolships’ receive the wort and at night roof vents are opened, letting the night air flood in, carrying with it the wild yeasts that make this beer unique. Fermented exclusively from natural fungi and bacteria found in the Zenne valley, this inimitable beverage simply cannot be made anywhere else, although many have tried.

During the winter, lambics of various ages are matched, blended, and bottled immediately. This is the famous ‘méthode champenoise’ which kicks off a second fermentation in the bottle and produces the classic ‘gueuze’. At other points in the year, seasonal fruits are added to make different varieties of Cantillon, including local Schaerbeek cherries, raspberries and, in the autumn, Italian muscat grapes.

At the end of your visit, you’ll have a chance to sample a bottle or two. Dry, sour, tart and complex, the flavour approaches that of some traditional ciders – and divides beer lovers.

Watch your step as you leave but do turn back to see the famous Cantillon sign swinging in the twilight – a drunkard, falling over backwards as he tips the last drops of lambic down his throat.

Next time: Abbatoir

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Called “Wildeman”, a 9% strength beer which is actually brewed at the Brouwerij Boon in Lembeek and will allow visitors at Bokrijk to sample how beer probably tasted in the 19th century.

“This dark beer, which is based on historic flavouring traditions, can only be found at Bokrijk”, says Igor Philtjens, chairman of the non-profit making organisation Het Domein Bokrijk (Domain Bokrijk) provincial deputy. The new beer is part of a major new project about beer and beer craftsmanship which was launched in a special ceremony at the museum on 28 April.

There are also plans to brew beer in the open-air museum six times a year, which itself is highly impressive to watch. As part of the same ‘Branded by Bokrijk’ project, there will also be a beer exhibition to be visited at the Paenhuys, a former 17th century brewery from Diepenbeek, which was transferred to the museum back in 1954. The exhibition brings together the historic and contemporary stories of beer.

The project, says Philtjens, “highlights the past, present and future of craftsmanship.” After bread and textile exhibitions in the past, it is now the turn of one on brewing, he said. “With the new exhibition, we are stepping up our focus on preserving the heritage and demonstrating the contemporary relevance of traditional and historic brewing. This craftsmanship has a long-standing tradition and at the same time is undergoing an evolution,” says Philtjens.

The new initiative also reflects a strong brewing tradition in Bokrijk and Flanders.

For many years, brewing was part of the daily life in the countryside of Flanders, one reason why, for a long time, Bokrijk has devoted itself to safeguarding and using these traditions. In 2016, UNESCO included beer culture in Belgium on its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity. In its role as a recognised centre of expertise for ICH, Bokrjik also supported the new project to promote safeguarding of the beer culture.

A museum spokesman said, “Through this new exhibition, Bokrijk is taking this one step further.”

Because of an extensive knowledge about brewing and the beer culture in Belgium, Flemish brewer Frank Boon worked with Bokrijk on the project as a professional curator. For many years, Bokrijk has been able to count on his expertise in relation to brewing in open brew kettles. The new exhibition focuses on craftsmanship, with particular attention being paid to the brewing process, for example, the various steps are explained visually.

The historic brewing installation in the Paenhuys, which originates from the Tomsin brewery in Hoegaarden, has undergone a restoration and has been enhanced with a present-day cooling, yeast and storage installation. This enables Bokrijk to brew beer six times a year.

Here, visitors can see a selection of objects relating to beer consumption from Bokrijk’s own historic collection, such as beer jugs, glasses and bottles. Using listening horns, visitors learn more about the profession, with forgotten stories about the history of brewing thanks to personal testimonies of beer experts. Visitors will also pick up plenty of interesting facts, for example, that brewing was originally women’s work that, for centuries, was simply done at home in a pan over an open fire.

A “showstopper” is the large bar that runs from inside all the way to the outside of the building. Visual artist, Fred Eerdekens, created a piece of art in the outdoor section of the bar that consists of an ingenious collection of rods that catch the light. Together, the rods form the word WORT, a reference to the brewing process, the important Dutch verb ‘to be’ (worden) and the German translation of ‘word’.

A total of four separate brewing events are also planned to showcase the region’s brewing culture.

At these, visitors will be given the rare opportunity to see the Bokrijk master brewers at work during an impressive reconstruction of the historic brewing process, with each time a different recipe being worked on. The experimental brews are not bottled and are therefore not sold. On certain Sundays – 2 June, 25 August, 15 September and 20 October – you can see and sample the entire brewing process live.

Wildeman beer, which was commissioned by Bokrijk, is an old Maasland beer, traditionally brewed with parts dark malt and spelt malt. The beer obtains its fine, vinous aroma by adding a three-year-old 8% Lambiek, matured in oak barrels, as was traditional for the old stock beers. Wildeman is for sale at the cafés and restaurants in and around the museum and here

The name of the beer refers to the popular late medieval legend about the knight Valentin and wild man, Ourson. The choice of name is a reference to the year of Bruegel 2019 and ‘The World of Bruegel’ exhibition which is taking place this year at the museum. The BKRK beer exhibition can be visited at the Paenhuys museum brewery (Haspengouw museum section) during the museum’s opening hours, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm. Closed on Mondays, except those that fall on national public holidays and in July and August. The museum itself is open until 20 October.

Meanwhile, with the May Day public holiday looming, there will also be a huge gardening event at Bokrikj on 1 May the public can buy flowers and plants. A visit to this could be very easily combined with a tour of another of the venue’s attractions: its wonderful Arboretum.

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beBeer is a powerful digital platform that brings together the local and regional brewers’ and the beer lovers’ community from 600 European regions, as well as everything around the beer world. This digital tool has been developed to offer a new experience of local and regional beers in Europe.

What does beBeer do and how does it work?

The goal of the platform is to present and highlight beers, breweries and beer promoters located in the heart of European regions. All of that the beer lovers will be able to browse, taste, evaluate, and share their knowledge on. They will discover new beer experiences thanks to the beBeer community.

Each member can add a beer or comment on other beers. It is an interactive platform, on which you can stay in touch with fellow beer lovers. It is available in 6 languages ​​and an easy-to-follow chart makes it possible to see the activity of other beBeer members.

As a non-commercial platform, beBeer is and wants to stay independent, so that the passion and taste curiosity of beBeer lovers’ remain the sole drivers of the platform.

beBeer, certainly the best community of local and regional beer lovers in Europe and beyond. You can check it out here

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