Oud Beersel

Oud Beersel is one of Belgium’s enduring lambic names: a Beersel producer whose story began in 1882, passed through four generations of the Vandervelden family, fell silent in 2002, and returned three years later. Its distinctive identity lies in the patient work after brewing—spontaneous fermentation, years of maturation in wood, and the blending of lambics into traditional Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek. A Beersel beginning Henri Vandervelden established the original brewery and buildings on Kasteelstraat in Beersel around 1882. The family business initially developed as a geuze blendery. In 1922, Henri’s son Egidius created his own blending operation, later adding a small brewhouse before the Second World War. In 1954, Henri Vandervelden II expanded production and adopted the name Oud Beersel, linking the brewery’s identity to its traditional home. Tradition under pressure The brewery closed at the end of 2002 when family succession ended. Gert Christiaens began the rescue and officially reopened Oud Beersel in November 2005. Today, the company describes itself most precisely as a geuze blendery: lambic wort is brewed to its recipe by a specialised partner, then fermented spontaneously, matured in wooden casks, selected, blended, bottled and refermented at Oud Beersel in Beersel. The lambic signature Oude Geuze is made by blending lambics from different casks and ages, followed by natural refermentation in the bottle. For Oude Kriek, sour cherries ferment and macerate in lambic before blending and bottle refermentation. Oud Beersel places this work within the Senne Valley and Pajottenland lambic tradition, the same regional culture that gives Beersel its enduring brewing importance. Oud Beersel’s defining character is the Beersel craft of turning spontaneously fermented lambic, wood and time into carefully blended traditional beers. Beersel, Flemish Brabant, Belgium 1882 1882: Henri Vandervelden completed the original brewery buildings in Beersel, regarded as the foundation of the Vandervelden brewery. 1954: Henri Vandervelden II expanded brewing capacity and renamed the brewery Oud Beersel. 2002: The brewery and adjacent Bierhuis closed at the end of the year. 2005: A new Oud Beersel company was founded, and the brewery officially reopened in November with the launch of Bersalis. 2007: Oud Beersel officially relaunched its Oude Geuze and Oude Kriek after limited releases in 2005 and 2006.