The Belgian Pajottenland is a paradise for beer fans. The region in the southwest of Brussels is largely used for agriculture and is home to a very special beer specialty: Lambic, a barley juice fermented with wild yeasts, benefits from the unique density and composition of different bacteria in the air there. It has been discovered that around 85 different natural yeast strains exist in the Pajottenland, which come into contact with the beer wort during the open cooling process and initiate fermentation. A whole range of breweries make use of this unique technique. The traditional Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen is one of them.
Although there are no documented records, it is assumed that the brewery has existed since at least 1882, when Jacobus Vanderlinden and his wife Joanna opened a pub in Beersel. The name of the pub is probably derived from the three porcelain hand pumps used to draw Kriek, Lambic and Faro from the cellar into the glasses. There is also a theory that there were three springs in the valley behind the brewery, after which the pub was named. The pub had an extension where Geuze was mixed. The Debelder family became the next owners and expanded the business after the demand for good beer steadily increased. The brewery inn became a popular meeting place in the region and was home to the famous Mijol Club, an illustrious group of writers, artists, politicians and thinkers who gathered around Herman Teirlinck, an author and artist. Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen had a real heyday that only came to an end in the 1990s. The demand for craft-brewed, elaborate and somewhat more expensive beer was dampened by a flood of industrial brews, but the boss at the time, Armand, was not deterred. After decades of buying beer from other breweries and simply mixing it to make Geuze, Armand decided to brew his own beer and put this plan into action in 1998. Today, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen has blossomed into one of the most popular Lambic breweries in Belgium and is proud of its centuries-old tradition and tireless fighting spirit.
To this day, the brewery produces lambics such as Oude Geuze in the traditional way and places great emphasis on good, regional raw materials, craftsmanship and sufficient maturation time. Brewing takes place exclusively in the cold months when the composition of microorganisms in the air is perfect. The brews are fermented openly and matured in oak barrels. At the end of this long, time-consuming process, there is a unique product with character and a well-rounded taste.
Taste the specialties from 3 Fonteinen and let yourself be enchanted by their magic!
