Brussels breweries launch spirit made from unsold beer

When bars and cafes were ordered to close in March, the new generation of Brussels-based breweries faced a problem. They had too many kegs of beer that could not be delivered.

Necessity being the mother of invention, four breweries - Brussels Beer Project, En Stoemelings, La Source and No Science - joined forces to find an innovative way to save the beer and keep making ends meet.

Enlisting the help of Brussels Distillery in Schaerbeek they created an "Eau de Bière" - in the process saving 1,000 litres of beer to produce 1,400 bottles of "Smells Like Brussels Spirit" which is an original blend somewhere between gin, peket and genever.

It is infused with iris flowers, the official flower of Brussels, as well as touches of Java pepper, orange bark, coriander and cardamom.

The spirit is being launched on 9 July with a bar/café hop joining 12 cafés and bars throughout the central city: Au Bassin, Barbeton, BBP, Cabaret Mademoiselle, KFK Hope, Mappa Mundo, Moeder Lambic Fontainas, Metteko, Monk, Roi des Belges, Walvis and Zebra.

Each establishment created a unique cocktail recipe using the spirit. If you cannot wait, it is already available in the breweries' shops and e-shops.