This website contains information about alcoholic drinks.
The content is not suitable for anyone under 18.
“Unique and local. Every bottle that leaves the brewery has passed through our hands several times.” Stijn, brewer
What began as a small beer company in 2018 became an official brewery in January 2020. With a maximum brewing capacity of 150 litres, each batch is a unique creation. We do as much as possible ourselves: pressing, brewing, bottling and even designing the labels. Some bottles travel beyond the Kempen: they have even found their way to Estonia and Sweden.
Fancy something different? Our artisanal ciders are made with care for nature. The fruit is picked by hand at local growers and manually pressed at the brewery. The long, slow fermentation that follows often starts spontaneously, with as little intervention from the brewer as possible.
For our beers, we use a Brewtools brewing kettle and fermentation tank.
For our beers, we work with one kettle and one tank, one batch at a time. Small enough to experiment, large enough to quench a thirst.
For our ciders, apples, pears, quinces and sour cherries are picked by hand, often at nearby Helsen Fruit, and freshly pressed at the brewery.
The long, slow fermentation of our ciders often starts spontaneously with yeasts from the apples themselves. Patience is the most important ingredient.
Beer or cider: every bottle passes through the brewer’s hands several times. The label is our own design too.
Small batches, hands-on work and a desire to experiment: that is how we make beer and cider at Hoppug. From a blond beer or tripel to a spontaneously fermented cider, every creation gets our attention. We tailor our approach to what we make, with respect for the ingredients and the people involved.
We like to explore variety in our beers. Different styles, flavours and new ideas all have a place in the brewery. We also know that the Kempen is home to plenty of people who love a good blond beer or tripel. We brew those with just as much enthusiasm and care as our experiments. Curiosity and familiar flavours both belong here.
For our ciders, we enjoy working with Helsen Fruit. Every year, they supply the juiciest apples that form the basis of our ciders.
Since late 2019, we have also had our own small orchard with nashi pears, apples, quinces, berries and herbs. We use the harvest in both our ciders and our beers.
Besides ciders with known yeasts we also use yeasts that come straight from the picked apples. That gives us a spontaneous fermentation.
For our ciders, wines and experiments, we keep intervention to a minimum. The fruit and fermentation have room to shape the flavour. We follow the process closely and make adjustments where needed, allowing the character of the ingredients to come through.
We also use spontaneous fermentation: fermentation starts with yeasts naturally present on the fruit and in the surrounding environment. This allows each harvest to develop its own character. Depending on what we want to make, we also work with selected yeasts.
Carbonic maceration also has a place in our experiments. With this technique, the fruit is initially kept whole in an oxygen-poor environment rich in carbon dioxide (CO2). Some of the transformation takes place inside the intact fruit, before pressing and further fermentation. Another way to explore a different side of the fruit.
We give our ciders plenty of time to develop their flavour. After fermentation, there is still room for maturation, allowing aromas, acidity and structure to come together. We take our cue from how the cider develops. Patience is part of the way we work.
