Tipsy Tribe Brewery & Distillery: a place to discover in Brussels.
Tipsy Tribe is a small brewery and distillery in Koekelberg, Brussels, that somehow escaped my attention until now. Shame on me! It’s run by Aylin and Daniel Fastenau. She’s Turkish, he’s American, and they met in Belgium. Actually, they make a rather cute couple.
They started brewing at home around 2015, while both were still working corporate jobs. Eventually, they decided to turn their hobby into something more. They found this spot in Koekelberg, which had quite a history of its own. Before becoming a brewery, it had been used as a cannabis grow operation. There was even a fire that destroyed a good part of the building. By the time Aylin and Dan got their hands on it, the place was completely wrecked: no proper flooring, water, gas or electricity. They rebuilt it from the ground up, doing much of the work themselves. And it seems to have paid off.
The first beer was brewed here in 2022. Distilling came later, initially with vodka, and eventually led them to whisky. The idea of having a brewery, taproom and distillery under one roof gradually took shape as the project evolved. Today, it’s a small operation where you can have a beer, try their spirits and get a glimpse of the work behind both.
Their beers are actually pretty good, and at least a couple deserve a mention: Badass, a chilli golden ale with honey notes and a nice kick from the pili-pili pepper towards the end; and their Criticality, a quadrupel that is quite dry for the style, deliberately so, according to Dan, who wanted something a little more approachable.
On the spirits side, I got to try their White Dog at 70.9% ABV, made with corn, rye and malted barley. An oily mouthfeel, plenty of corn sweetness and a touch of rye spice. The finish brought to mind warm popcorn and toasted bread crust. Not exactly a subtle little drink, but pretty tasty.
And then there’s their first Brussels Whisky, released last month after three years in virgin American oak. Bourbon is one of Dan’s favourite types of whiskey, so it’s no surprise that the mash bill could easily pass for that of a bourbon.
As he explained to me, it’s made with 53% corn, with wheat and malted barley making up the rest. And it’s a pretty decent pour, with notes of hot pastries filled with vanilla custard, grainy corn, porridge and green banana peel.
The way they make it is also worth mentioning. Their first whisky was distilled in a small 50-litre stainless-steel still fitted with a column. Daniel removed all the plates, effectively using it as a pot still, and double-distilled the spirit. They now have a much larger 650-litre hybrid still, but Daniel sticks to the same approach for whisky, removing the column plates and double-distilling the spirit.
And that’s still a very small operation when it comes to ageing. At the moment, their main focus is on beer production, although they do have plans to increase their spirits stock. However, they currently have just three whisky casks: two 55-litre barrels and one 110-litre barrel.
I had a lovely time with Aylin and Dan. Good beer, good spirits and good music. I was having a hard time getting my arse off the chair when I spotted my old mate Gert and his crew from Oud Beersel. What a surprise! I hadn’t seen him in years, not since I worked on a pairing of his beers with vegan food. Anyway, he was there for a tour, and that reminded me I had to get going. The Shits were playing at Magasin 4, and I couldn’t miss that. But that’s another story.
Anyway, I definitely recommend checking out Tipsy Tribe if you haven’t been yet. Especially if, like me, you enjoy that crafty vibe. I, for one, hope to be back soon.
Guest blog written by @if_the_river_was_whiskey !
Go give him a follow on Instagram and check out his work!
All photos courtesy of him.
