The national 'home brewing competition', organized by the Abbey of Grimbergen, attracted as many as 202 participants. The task was clear: brew a (dark) blonde beer with top fermentation, medium bitterness, an alcohol content of 6 to 8.5 percent, with fruity and/or subtly spicy notes.
After objective tastings by a professional jury, three beers were selected as the very best. The finalists, hailing from Limburg, Flemish Brabant, and Namur, will be allowed to further develop their beer under the guidance of Grimbergen's head brewer. On June 4, the winning beer will be proclaimed as Grimbergen Cuvée 2024!
Martijn & Edwin Camps
Edwin lives in Bertem, where his son Martijn also grew up until he moved to Meerbeek (Kortenberg) a few months ago. Edwin started brewing in the 1980s, even before Martijn was born, but had to stop after a few brews, due to lack of time and other priorities like children and work. Edwin’s stories about his brewing adventures sparked Martijn’s interest, which led him to ask his father to start brewing together.
In 2017, Edwin and Martijn began brewing together and have been doing so regularly ever since, about five times a year on average. They brew under the canopy in the garden of Edwin’s house. Although they both have a wide appreciation for beer and enjoy almost all beer styles (and have brewed many), they prefer IPAs. Martijn developed his love for IPAs during a holiday in the US. They especially enjoy trying and tasting new recipes and styles all the time.
Advancing as a commercial brewer is a dream for them, but currently, it's a distant one. The steps from hobby brewing with a 20-litre kettle to commercial brewing are huge. They want to take their brewing adventure one step at a time. This competition is already a nice step forward and it makes them dream a bit more. If they are permitted to dream: a small brewery of their own with accompanying brewpub would be fantastic!
If the very first bottle of Cuvée Grimbergen gets there according to their recipe, Martijn would love to share it with Edwin, his mother, and his wife, as a thank you for their support and understanding when they are brewing and turning half the house upside down.
Advancing as a commercial brewer is a dream for them, but currently, it's a distant one. The steps from hobby brewing with a 20-litre kettle to commercial brewing are huge. They want to take their brewing adventure one step at a time. This competition is already a nice step forward and it makes them dream a bit more. If they are permitted to dream: a small brewery of their own with accompanying brewpub would be fantastic!
If the very first bottle of Cuvée Grimbergen gets there according to their recipe, Martijn would love to share it with Edwin, his mother, and his wife, as a thank you for their support and understanding when they are brewing and turning half the house upside down.
Kevin & Benny Timmermans
Kevin and Benny live in the Haspengouw municipality of Wellen. Kevin Timmermans is employed at Sint-Truiden's green service, while father Benny is already enjoying his retirement. They have been brewing together for five years now, using their Brew Monk brewing kettle from Brouwland. Their favourite style of beer to brew is a Tripel, but they also like to experiment with other styles.
Brewing is a precious father-son moment for Kevin and Benny. They usually get to work on Sunday mornings. They enjoy spending time together while sharing their passion for beer.
Kevin's dream is to break through as a commercial brewer. He has always had a wish to work for the Alken-Maes brewery. Their love for Cristal Alken goes so far that they have even set up a mini museum of Cristal Alken. Should a job at Alken-Maes not work out, Kevin's dream is to open a microbrewery with a catering business attached.
If Kevin were to win the first bottle of Cuvée Grimbergen, he would give it as a present to his godmother and godfather. They have always supported him in everything, and it would be a nice gift to thank them in this way.
Kevin's dream is to break through as a commercial brewer. He has always had a wish to work for the Alken-Maes brewery. Their love for Cristal Alken goes so far that they have even set up a mini museum of Cristal Alken. Should a job at Alken-Maes not work out, Kevin's dream is to open a microbrewery with a catering business attached.
If Kevin were to win the first bottle of Cuvée Grimbergen, he would give it as a present to his godmother and godfather. They have always supported him in everything, and it would be a nice gift to thank them in this way.
Julie & Frédéric Marchal
Julie and Frédéric are a couple who have been brewing together passionately for five years. Julie (46) works for the Walloon Public Service, while her husband Frédéric, (54) is an analyst-programmer for a company that develops digital solutions for WBE schools. They have been married for 20 years and live in Namur.
Their brewing adventure began, as with many, with simple brewing kits. Not entirely satisfied with the taste of the beer, they soon decided to invest in a more professional Brew Monk brewing system and fermentation vessel. They brewed their first beers in their own kitchen. The initial results were not immediately positive, but after much trial and error, they managed to produce some beers that they found quite good themselves.
Julie and Frédéric brew mainly for themselves and their friends. But to test their level and get feedback from objective outsiders, they entered the Brouwland Beer Competition in 2023. To their delight, they made it to the first selection of 30 beers out of 99, on March 6, 2023, at Brewmine TAP.
Encouraged by this experience, they entered the Grimbergen competition, where they clearly confirm their talent. They have a preference for bitter beers, and this is unmistakably reflected in their brewing style. Although they don't want to become commercial brewers, they would be proud if Grimbergen were to brew their beer on a large scale in the abbey brewery.
If they win, they would likely give the first bottle to their granddaughter, as a kind of time capsule and reminder of the competition. Maybe one day she too will be captured by her grandparents' brewing passion!
Julie and Frédéric brew mainly for themselves and their friends. But to test their level and get feedback from objective outsiders, they entered the Brouwland Beer Competition in 2023. To their delight, they made it to the first selection of 30 beers out of 99, on March 6, 2023, at Brewmine TAP.
Encouraged by this experience, they entered the Grimbergen competition, where they clearly confirm their talent. They have a preference for bitter beers, and this is unmistakably reflected in their brewing style. Although they don't want to become commercial brewers, they would be proud if Grimbergen were to brew their beer on a large scale in the abbey brewery.
If they win, they would likely give the first bottle to their granddaughter, as a kind of time capsule and reminder of the competition. Maybe one day she too will be captured by her grandparents' brewing passion!