| The Dupont farmhouse brewery put the art in artisan and the hip in hippie long before free love, The Grateful Dead, tie-dyed shirts and organic farming. The Brassiere Dupont was the first brewery in Europe to have their beers certified organic and carries the ideals of self-sustained farming as far as possible: selling the farm’s eggs from the brewery offices, raising their own livestock on the spent grain from the brewing process and operating a cheesery and bakery as well. They even use their own spring water in making their beers, but can’t claim utopian self-contained commune status, as they do bring in the grain and hops. Having visited this brewery, I can attest that this facility is like a step back in time and one of the prettiest breweries I have been to.
A brewery and a farm have existed on this site in the French, or, Walloon, part of Belgium since 1844. In 1920, Alfred Dupont bought the brewery and farm as a clever distraction to keep his son Louis from moving to the wilderness outpost of Canada. Since that bold move, this proud family brewery has been passed down through several generations of the Dupont family and has become one of the most rapidly growing breweries in Belgium.
Success hasn’t ruined them – they brew the way they have brewed since 1920, with barely any technological advances in the brew house. Where most breweries will have the rawest by-product of the beer, wort, on yeast in as little as four hours, Dupont waits 12. An archaic single-flame burner that looks more suited to a one-seater jet than a brew house powers the heating system. In all, they stray very little from how the beers were originally brewed.
The main style of beer that Dupont makes are saisons, that were historically brewed in the fall after the harvesting was done so the farm and village would have beer for the next summer. Sadly, there are only a few traditional saison breweries left in this part of the world. We are lucky to get two outstanding Dupont products here.
The brewery’s namesake, the Dupont Saison, was voted best beer in the world in Men’s Journal last year. I might not go that far myself, but it is definitely a world classic. This beer is very easily approachable by non-beer connoisseurs as it is crisp and well balanced, with a hint of citrus and a slightly bitter finish that tastes of summer. It also has a dense, billowy head and a surprisingly dry, funky, barnyard-ness of spices and pepper, as well as a big ol’ smack of hop bitterness that will satisfy seasoned beer drinkers’ taste buds, too.
The Moinette is the brewery’s most popular product and is the Dupont family’s homage to the Abbey-style blond ales, that are so popular in Belgium. It is stronger than their normal beers, at nine per cent by volume, but you would be hard pressed to find where they hide the alcohol. It is dangerously drinkable and has snappy, yeasty zest with a clean, bright quality that makes you want to have another. The nose of this high-octane nectar is a complex blend of spices and fruit – cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, figs and a hint of toffee – and possesses an aftertaste that is long, malty and spicy. Although I love both products, this is the one I seem to be drinking most.
It is my hope that Calgary sees the Avec les Bon Voeux, the brewery’s Christmas ale, but that is for a later season. While we’re enjoying one of the nicest summers in memory, it is a perfect time to savour one, or both, of these classics. |
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