Hanssens Artisanaal

Hanssens Artisanaal: the living essence of the Belgian Gueuze

In the heart of Dworp, a small village in Pajottenland, one of the most authentic stories of the world of Lambic was born. In 1896, Bartholomew Hanssens, then mayor of the town, bought an old farm-milk and transformed it into the Sint-Antonius brewery. Unlike other factories in the area, he did not make Lambic, but a table bruna beer, using the water of a small stream that passed right behind the brewery, filtered through a stone well that today forms part of his historical legacy.

As in many European breweries, World War I marked a before and after: all the copper from the installation was seized by the German army. After the war, Bartholomew decided not to re-make its own beer, but to focus on buying must for its subsequent fermentation and mixing. Thus, the brewery became a geuzestekerij, a mixing house of Lambic, a figure today almost disappeared and only a few kept alive.

In 1929, Theo Hanssens took over the family. He demolished the remains of the old brewery and in 1931 transformed the space into a house, without leaving the artisanal activity of mixing. It was he who designed the iconic bottle dryers that are still used today. After hand washing, first in a tank and then with brushes, the bottles are placed face down on these supports not only to drain, but also to prevent insects or impurities from entering into it. A method as simple as effective, and deeply linked to tradition.

Hanssens Artisanaal represents the resistance of craftsmanship to the passage of time. Here there is no rush or mass production: each gueuze, each kriek or each framboise is the result of patience, knowledge and absolute respect for spontaneous fermentation and the art of assembly. Its beers are complex, elegant and deeply linked to the terroir of the valley of the Senne.

InBeer Republic We feel special admiration for projects that keep the liquid history of beer aliveHanssens Artisanaal is not just a brand: it is a living testimony to Belgian tradition, to know how to make transmission from generation to generation and to the magic that arises when time, wood and lambic work together.If you are looking for authenticity, character and beer that speak for themselves, Hanssens is an essential reference.