Brasserie Fantôme

Infobox Brewery
name = Brasserie Fantôme


caption = The Fantôme logo can be seen on the brewery's vintage truck. The female ghost holds a brewer's shovel and mash fork.|
location = Rue Préal 8, Soy-Erezée, Belgium 5454
owner = Dany Prignon
opened = 1988
production = approximately 240 hL [ [http://beerme.com/breweries/be/lu/6718.shtml Beer Me! — Brasserie Fantôme — Soy, Luxembourg, Belgium ] ]
active_beers =
seasonal_beers =
other_beers =

General

This small and idiosyncratic craft brewery is located in the part of Wallonia known as the Ardennes, a French-speaking area of south-eastern Belgium. Situated at the northern edge of the tiny village of Soy in the Marche-en-Famenne district of Luxembourg province, it occupies a modest stone farmhouse on the main road through the town.

Founded in 1988, Brasserie Fantôme has gained international renown and a cult following among lovers of craft beers. Owned and run by the unabashedly quirky Dany Prignon, Fantôme is known for its unique variations on the Saison style of farmhouse ale, often involving the use of herbs, spices or fruit juice. Although their products are famously variable in quality and availability, many beer lovers consider them highly desirable and they have developed a significant audience in the United States and United Kingdom. While their complex earthy, herbal and sometimes sour flavors have caused them to be sought out by connoisseurs outside of Belgium, Fantôme's products are difficult to find and not well-known in the country of their origin.

The name of the brewery stems from a legend of the nearby town of La Roche-en-Ardenne, which asserts that the ghost of the long-dead Countess Berthe de La Roche can still be seen walking amidst the ruins of the town's castle.

There is a small bar adjacent to the brewery that is primarily open on weekends and for special occasions. Tours of the facility can be arranged by reservation as well.

Technical Information

The brewery's equipment, much of which was obtained from the original brewhouse of the Brasserie d'Achouffe, is capable of producing only one 750 liter batch at a time, which is matured in cylindro-conical fermenters and aged for several weeks before being hand bottled and labeled on the premises. Beer is made about once per week, with many of the specialties being produced only once per year. [cite book |last= Kenning |first=David |title=Beers of the World |year=2005 |publisher=Parragon Publishing |location=Bath, UK |language=English |isbn=1-40545-050-9 |pages=p. 161 |chapter=Belgian Beers] Fantôme's products are available only in corked and capped 750ml bottles of green glass and on tap.

Beers

*"Fantôme Saison" (8.0% ABV), their flagship product
*"Saison d' Erezee" (varies from 6.0% - 9.0% ABV) A quarterly product named for the season (Printemps - Été - Automne - Hiver) that varies in its formulation each year
*"Fantôme Chocolat" (8.0% ABV), made with chocolate
*"Fantôme Speciale Noel" (10.0% ABV), a Christmas beer with a spicy character
*"Fantôme Brise-BonBons!" (8.0% ABV), a particularly hoppy beer
*"Fantôme Pissenlit" (8.0% ABV) made with dandelions, literally "wet the bed" in French
*"Fantôme Black Ghost" (8.0% ABV) A dark beer whose formulation has changed over time.
*"Fantôme Strange Ghost" (8.0% ABV)
*"Fantôme La Dalmatienne" (8.0% ABV) An amber-colored winter offering.

In addition to those listed above, there are many special and one-time products made at the whim of the brewmaster. Custom beers have been made on commission for bars, such as the Circus Fantôme created for the now-closed Beer Circus in Croydon, UK, or on behalf of charity, like the Fantôme Santé.

References

External links

*fr icon [http://www.fantome.be Brasserie Fantôme Official website]
*en icon [http://ratebeer.com/brewers/brasserie-fant%F4me/1289/ Brasserie Fantôme listing on RateBeer]
*en icon [http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/738 Brasserie Fantôme listing on BeerAdvocate]