A short while ago I had a mail from Chris Bauweraerts, a friend who just happened to have owned a brewery - Chouffe, in Achouffe, Belgium. As you’ll probably know, he’s just parted with the ownership and can now persue life on his own terms, working in the brewing industry, or entertaining himself as he sees fit.
His mail was an invitation to his model flying club’s annual meet, where they would have a series of competitions between the local club and a visiting club from the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. The end of the day would yield a whole roast pig for the evening repast, and a demonstration flight of the legendary flying Chouffe.
He also said that Johann of the Regebogen brewery would be there with a special brew specially made for the event !
Well, no question about going or not….
We rose easily on the Saturday morning, gently becoming accustomed to being awake - after a good Friday evening. Breakfasted and packed a few items for an overnight stay, then filling up with cheap Luxembourg fuel it was off and away into Belgium.
With our GPS set up for the small hotel I had booked at Hotton, the drive was an easy 90 minutes. Checking in was fun, their local French accent was ‘crusty’ - didn’t understand more than a few words, which was unusual for me. Probably a little too far away from my normal part of the French speaking world.
According to Chris’s note the event would take place in a village midway between Hotton and Soy(of the Fantome Brewery), so we drove up there, and searched in vain, eventually calling him on his mobile. The explanation was that the venue was 2km down a road marked no entry - farming road !. It was in fact a 15 minute walk from our lodgings - but I had transport !!!!!, so I was ‘BOB’ the driver. It didn’t stop me sampling the beers though.
Chris had also mentioned there was to be another new beer ‘Vedett Wittebier’, made by the buyers of his brewery - Duvel-Moortgat, but brewed to only 4.7% - a nablab by Belgian standards, this was so it could be sold off the shelf in supermarkets in Scandinavia, a cute marketing trick eh!
When we arrived, Johann hadn’t arrived, and had called the emergency services, as his truck had ground to a halt on route.So we had to content ourselves with the new wheat beer….. but excellent it was.
A clogged Diesel filter replaced, he arrived 3 hours late, with his truck of beer. The special brew - Cuvee Elektrik was rapidly dispensed, and was a typically good quality brew from Johann, albeit a little cloudy from the journey.
After the competition flying had finished, the flying Chouffe was made ready, it’s batteries hot from the 2 hour charge, it was to make a 6 minute flight, Chris literally threw the 1 meter disk into the air - it flew like a flying saucer - adorned with a gnome astride a bicycle, peddaling for all its worth. Rik, Chris’s friend flew this beast, and boy you could see sweat trickling down as he wrestled with the controls, keeping the UFO aloft. Finally, it landed, safely to rapturous applause.
The pig was no letdown, washed down with more, well, water for me !!!! and Cuvee Elektrik for everyone else.
By now the sun was well on it’s way down, and a musician from Chris’s local began his gig, brilliant oldies for us old fogies.
Time was upon us, I suggested to my now happy wife it was time to think about calling it a day, and for the return to the hotel, we chose the short route, but on the way something confirmed my thoughts, Johann had turned up with a truck full of beer, and a stand - but why he had only dispensed 2 maybe 3 casks ???.
The ‘why’ was confirmed by a sign advertising the Hotton beer festival, to open on the Sunday - WOW!
and we’re in town until tomorrow…..