Gourmet products local specialties and wines Roeselare

Classic, Grand Cru, Alexander, Red Character, Vintage

Absorbed in 1998 by Palm, Rodenbach had remained a small family brewery until then. The founders, four brothers associated in 1820, are the descendants of a German knight from Andernach, on the Rhine, a former soldier in the Austrian army, who settled in Roeselare in the 18th century. They are also related to the poet and writer Georges Rodenbach, author of the famous Bruges la Morte and Albrecht Rodenbach, writer and activist for the autonomy of Flanders, who died in 1880 at the age of 24.

Two generations after the creators, Eugène Rodenbach brought back from England the secrets of maturation in oak barrels, which gave rise to the very special beer that we still know today, combining top fermentation and spontaneous fermentation (mixed fermentation). The manufacture of Rodenbach still follows ancient traditions: some oak casks have reached 150 years of age and reed is still used to maintain the watertightness of these large 650 hl tanks.

Rodenbach is a blend beer, made up of three-quarters young beer and a quarter of beer matured in these casks for almost two years. Its older sister, the Rodenbach Grand Cru, is blended in proportions of one third young beer, two thirds ripe beer, which gives it a greater expression and a wider aromatic palette. The inimitable taste of these two beers comes from both this ageing in barrels and the yeast which is always that of the beginning. As all tourists to the Belgian coast know, Rodenbach goes wonderfully with grey shrimp. It is the true reference model for Flemish red-brown beers.

Periodically, the brewery produces "special editions", such as the Rodenbach Vintage or the Caracère rouge de 7%, which matures for two years in oak tuns. It is then macerated for six months in cherries, raspberries and cranberries, before the beer is fermented in bottles. A neighbouring and lighter version has been named Rosso.

The brewery has an absolutely magnificent room at your disposal for the organisation of parties and seminars. It can accommodate up to 750 guests. The classified kiln and the 294 oak barrels in which the beer matures offer an impressive spectacle and give the place a unique character. According to Palm brewery manager Jan Toye, now owner of Rodenbach, this acquisition is a cultural project aimed at perpetuating this unique style of Belgian beer.

Since 1821, the Rodenbach brewery has gone from strength to strength, and its reputation has spread far and wide. You'll be welcomed into the "Het Foederhuis" visitors' center, a perfect blend of industrial archaeology and contemporary design. Here you'll learn the fabulous secrets behind the making of Rodenbach beer. You'll be amazed by the tour of the touraille and the Rodenbach tuns cathedral. And, of course, the tour ends with a tasting! Don't hesitate to grab a bite to eat in the brewery and browse around the store, both of which are brand-new!