In Dutch, or in this case Flemish, ‘Boerenerf’ translates into farmstead—but when you learn more about this Lambic blender, the word ‘erf’ takes on a much more powerful meaning than the straightforward English translation of ‘yard,’ stretching into ‘legacy’ and ‘inheritance.’
This is where Het Boerenerf’s founder’s family history comes into play, and bear with me, as the story should really be turned into a blockbuster telenovela…
Lambic brewing flows in Senne Eylenbosch’s blood. Not only was he raised in the Zennevallei, famous as the birthplace of Lambic thanks to its atmospheric microflora rich in Brettanomyces bruxellensis and lambicus, but his forefathers also ran a Lambic brewery in the 19th century. In 1922, the farm and the brewery were split among three Eylenbosch brothers: Jan Baptist and Georges took over the brewery, while their brother Victor ran the farm.
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The farm was eventually transitioned to organic farming by Senne’s father in the 2000s, who also launched a successful ice cream business with his wife starting in 2010. Meanwhile, the Lambic brewery operating above the farm had closed its doors in 1965 as the style gradually lost its audience with the advent of macro-breweries. The ‘Eylenbosch’ trademark was sold off to De Keersmaekers (then owners of La Mort Subite, now owned by Heineken) in the early 1980s. Years later, in 2019, a fifth-generation De Keersmaekers resurrected the Eylenbosch Lambic Brewery, while the original brewery building itself was converted into residential housing.
The final plot twist came in 2019 when Senne’s parents decided to separate. His mother left taking the ice cream business with her, and his father lost his wife’s clientele for the organic farm’s dairy business. On top of that, the government loomed large, threatening to rezone the family farm for residential use.
At the time, 23-year-old Senne was working at 3Fonteinen, one of the most prominent Lambic brewers based in Beersel—right in the heart of the Payottenland region. Given his rich heritage, it was no surprise that he decided, alongside his colleague Vincent Alluin from 3Fonteinen, to reclaim his family’s legacy. In 2020, he transformed his father’s farm into a blendery, sourcing young Lambic wort from seven traditional Lambic brewers (3Fonteinen, de Troch, Lindemans, Boon, Angerik, Den Herberg, and Sako) and maturing them in wooden barrels right on the farm. Unfortunately, the rights to the Eylenbosch trademark were no longer within his reach.
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Today, Het Boerenerf matures 160 barrels of various sizes ranging from 220L to 750L. Aside from numerous fruit blends featuring mirabelle plums, kriek, apricots, and even rhubarb, they produce two Gueuze blends: a soft, easy-drinking version known as ‘malse,’ and a Cuvée Héritage with immense bottle-aging potential. Senne has also expanded into meads, ciders, gueule, and wine-beer hybrids.
Senne has revitalized a heritage that runs deep in the Zennevallei. As you can see, four generations of the Eylenbosch family are immortalized in Het Boerenerf’s four-U logo, while the brewery builds a steady cult following for its beers.
If you’ve made it this far through the story, I hope that, like us, you’ll reach out for a bottle and raise a glass to toast Senne’s legacy.
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Cheers!
from PIVOTEKA
