Brussels Beer City

Book excerpt: "This book shows that there are few stories as remarkable as the complicated love affair Brussels has with beer." - Jonny Garrett, Co-Founder of The Craft Beer Channel, Beer Writer of the Year 2019From the brewery that once employed Congolese freedom fighter Patrice Lumumba, to the race against time to rescue Brussels' rich industrial heritage from the maws of rapacious developers, and the see-sawing fortunes of the city's artisan brewers, Brussels brewing has had a tumultuous past. The city is rightly famed around the world for its vitally important lambic brewing traditions, but there is a history of Brussels brewing brewing that goes so much further and deeper than that. And more than that, the history of beer in Brussels is the history of modern Brussels itself - from a regional backwater to an industrial powerhouse, to the hubris of post-war de-industrialisation and the subsequent revival of local brewing at the end of the 20th century, Brussels and its brewers have seen it all.This collection, bringing together work by Eoghan Walsh on his award-winning blog Brussels Beer City and for Belgian Beer and Food Magazine, brings to life the family dynasties, the brewers, and the activists that sought to keep this invaluable legacy alive into the 21st century. Santeï!"Part picaresque dig into the archives, part elegy for the city's lost breweries, part celebration of Brussels' ineffable spirit, this lucidly written and deeply researched Brussels brewing history is a delight at every turn. Walsh shares key anecdotes from centuries past, draws surprising comparisons, and makes some compelling prognostications for what's next for the city's brewers and beer lovers. This necessary work is a must for anyone who appreciates Belgian beer." - Claire Bullen, Editor, Good Beer Hunting""Fascinating, enjoyable, packed with anecdotes and stories about people and beer (and, er, football skullduggery), this gives the reader an insider's guide to Brussels' beer and brewing history and evokes a sense of nostalgia without being sickly or fussy. Read with a pint or two of Zinnebir to hand And then pour another." - Adrian Tierney-Jones