Posts tagged history
On the lash with Baudelaire // A literary pub crawl through Brussels, Act Two
On the lash with Baudelaire // A literary pub crawl through Brussels, Act Two

I set off on a tour, in Baudelaire’s and others footsteps, of what remains of Brussels’ literary haunts. Part one is here.

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Cuisine and Culture, Breweries and BarsEoghan Walshhistory, literature, victor hugo, Charles baudelaire, vincent van gogh, a la mort subite, Muntpunt, Cafe les trois suisses, John Dos Passos, Karl Marx, Grand Place, L'Imaige de Notre Dame, Theatre Royal de Toone, Boon, La Chaloupe d'Or, Maison de Cygnes, WH Auden, Place de la Monnaie
On the lash with Baudelaire // A literary pub crawl through Brussels, Act One
On the lash with Baudelaire // A literary pub crawl through Brussels, Act One

I set off on a tour, in Baudelaire’s and others footsteps, of what remains of Brussels’ literary haunts.

Read More
Cuisine and CultureEoghan Walshhistory, literature, victor hugo, Charles baudelaire, vincent van gogh, a la mort subite, Muntpunt, Cafe les trois suisses, John Dos Passos, Karl Marx, Grand Place, L'Imaige de Notre Dame, Theatre Royal de Toone, Boon, La Chaloupe d'Or, Maison de Cygnes, WH Auden, Place de la Monnaie
Beer and the City // When beer was brewed at the European Parliament: Brasserie Leopold and the "Whim of the Gods"
Beer and the City // When beer was brewed at the European Parliament: Brasserie Leopold and the "Whim of the Gods"

Rue Wiertz, in Brussels’ European district, is a nothing street. Bound at both ends by slate-grey security barriers to protect the European Parliament, it is an unremarkable street in an unremarkable part of town. But, underneath the glass and stone towers that line the street, is some remarkable history. This spot, at the confluence of Rue Wiertz, Rue Vautier, and Parc Leopold, is where brewing in Brussels died. More specifically, it is where Brasserie Leopold – the last commercial brewery operating in Brussels city soil – shut its doors in June 1981.

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History and HeritageEoghan Walshbrasserie leopold, Parc leopold, white star, history, european parliament, rue wiertz, espace leopold, three star, brewery, european union, cafe marnix, rue vauter, place luxembourg
The Kalibabou // Recreating the Brussels Christmas cocktail made with Lambic and...eggs
The Kalibabou // Recreating the Brussels Christmas cocktail made with Lambic and...eggs

As the days grow darker and the nights colder, winter is the time of year to huddle close in a pub with a warming drink. Winter in Brussels is no exception. But, instead of a mulled wine or a hot toddy, in Brussels people celebrated the end of one year and the coming of he next with a “Kalibabou” – a hot cocktail of lambic, rum, sugar and eggs. Or, at least they used to.

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History and HeritageEoghan WalshLambic, Oud Beersel, Cantillon, cocktail, Flip, Ru, m, Winter, Christmas, Beer cocktail, Lambiek, history
Beer & the city // Surviving Brusselization: the fate of Brasseries Atlas
Beer & the city // Surviving Brusselization: the fate of Brasseries Atlas

Brussels has not been kind to its architectural heritage. The process of “Brusselization” describes the “indiscriminate and careless introduction of modern high-rise buildings into gentrified neighbourhoods” that characterised post-war urban planning in Brussels and was responsible for the callous destruction of historically important buildings, whole neighbourhoods, and local communities. Brussels’ breweries and their architectural legacy were not immune. The Grandes Brasseries Atlas is an exception.

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History and HeritageEoghan WalshCanal, Anderlecht, industrial architecture, koelschip, Brasseries Atlas, history, Art Deco, Pils, Molenbeek, bars