Brasserie Fantôme
Encyclopedia
Fantôme is a small brewery
in Soy, Wallonia, Belgium
. Founded in 1988 by Dany Prignon, it produces Saison, a type of farmhouse ale.
district of Luxembourg province
Founded in 1988, Brasserie Fantôme has gained international attention and a cult following among lovers of craft beers. Owned and run by 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. Despite the fact that their products are notoriously variable in quality and availability, they are considered highly desirable and 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.
, 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. Fantôme's products are available only in corked and capped 750ml bottles of green glass and on tap.
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.
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
in Soy, Wallonia, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Founded in 1988 by Dany Prignon, it produces Saison, a type of farmhouse ale.
General
The brewery occupies a modest stone farmhouse on the main road through the village of Soy in the Marche-en-FamenneArrondissement of Marche-en-Famenne
The Arrondissement of Marche-en-Famenne is one of the five administrative arrondissements in the Province of Luxembourg, Belgium. It is both an administrative and a judicial arrondissement...
district of Luxembourg province
Founded in 1988, Brasserie Fantôme has gained international attention and a cult following among lovers of craft beers. Owned and run by 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. Despite the fact that their products are notoriously variable in quality and availability, they are considered highly desirable and 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
La Roche-en-Ardenne
La Roche-en-Ardenne is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg.On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 147.52 km², had 4,348 inhabitants, giving a population density of 29.5 inhabitants per km²....
, 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.
Production
The brewery's equipment, much of which was obtained from the original brewhouse of the Brasserie d'AchouffeBrasserie d'Achouffe
The Brasserie d'Achouffe is a Belgian brewery based in Achouffe. It was founded in 1982 by two brothers-in-law, Pierre Gobron and Christian Bauweraerts, as a hobby. In 1984, Gobron decided to quit his job and to concentrate on his brewery, joined four years later by Bauweraerts. That year , they...
, 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. Fantôme's products are available only in corked and capped 750ml bottles of green glass and on tap.
Beers
- Fantôme Saison (8.0% ABVAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
), their flagship product, a fruity, strong take on the SaisonSaisonSaison is the name originally given to low-alcohol pale ales brewed seasonally in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, for farm workers during harvest season...
style. Described as "Intense — maybe too intense — flavors of orange, peach and strawberry; a lot going on." - 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 chocolateChocolateChocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
- Fantôme Speciale Noel (10.0% ABV), a Christmas beer with a spicy character
- Fantôme Brise-BonBons! (8.0% ABV), a particularly hopHopsHops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
py beer - Fantôme Pissenlit (8.0% ABV) made with dandelions, literally "wet the bed" in French. Described as "highly spicy with touches of pepper and slight grass and floral notes, a touch of lemon-lime citrus."
- 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.
- Fantôme BBB Babillard (8.0% ABV) Produced based on the results of a members' poll from a popular online beer enthusiast forum.
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
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, UK, or on behalf of charity, like the Fantôme Santé.