EP029 | Day Two Highlights of the Toer de Geuze At Home 2021

This editorially independent podcast has been supported by VISITFLANDERS. Toer de Geuze couldn’t go ahead this year because of COVID-19. Its cancellation was very sad. The Toer de Geuze is a unique event for its incredible history, compelling characters, charming villages, and wonderful beers. To fill the gap, a new event was proposed, the Toer de Geuze At Home, showcasing each of the Lambic breweries and blenderies in specially filmed videos, as well as a series of interactive live sessions during which the public could ask questions of the brewers and blenders.  HORAL teamed up with Visit Flanders, Toerisme Vlaams Brabant, and a live event streaming company called Bitstream to set up a small studio in one of the most respected beer cafes in Belgium for Lambic: Café In de Verzekering Tegen De Grote Dorst in the village of Eizeringen. Lieselot Caura of Beer Secrets hosted the event and I moderated the live sessions with the brewers and blenders. We had perspex screens between us, wore our masks religiously between streams, and to follow Belgian COVID guidelines, we didn’t share any beer during the event. We wanted it to be safe and it really was.  What you’re about to hear are some clips from the second day of the Toer de Geuze At Home. You’ll hear me speak with John Matthijs of Hanssens Artisanaal, with Karel Boon & Jos Boon of Boon, with Pierre Tilquin of Tilquin, with Karel Goddeau of De Cam, and with Pauwel Raes of De Troch.  The questions that I’m asking are coming in from a live chat feed. Before each conversation, I have no idea what will be asked or what we’ll be talking about. This interactive format gives the public the chance to ask questions directly to these Lambic brewers and blenders in a live scenario. This event was the first of its kind in Belgium. You can watch all of the sessions now in their entirety on the event website: https://toerdegeuze.be/ Sit back, listen, and enjoy the highlights of Day Two of the Toer de Geuze At Home. *