Zythos Beer Festival transforms Kortrijk into a paradise for beer lovers

Hal K van Landmarck formed the backdrop for the eighteenth edition of the Zythos Beer Festival in Kortrijk. After Sint-Niklaas and Leuven, a West Flemish city will be the location for the event for the first time. From noon to evening, connoisseurs or curious drinkers can taste all kinds of beers on Saturday and Sunday.

On the first day, especially in the afternoon, visitors explored the various stands that want to promote their brand. In the evening, those present chatted convivially at the table or at the bar in the spacious event hall. Groups felt like in a café, but one with a lot more options and where the glasses are smaller. A man in a Mario costume was enjoying his bachelor party between the beers. Others took their time playing a board game while quenching their thirst. A large part of the public used public transport or booked a hotel, which sometimes meant they left earlier.

Internationally known

On the one hand, the visitors clearly came from their own region. On the other hand, according to the organization, numerous fans of Belgian beer culture also traveled from abroad to the city on the Leie. Colombia, Denmark, Austria, Great Britain, United States and Brazil are just a few parts of the world where they have the Zythos Beer Festival. Unesco recognized Belgian beer culture in 2016 as ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’. Like other beer festivals, Zythos propagates that culture, but also contributes to that recognition. Zythos vzw is an organization that covers all Belgian associations of beer tasters. That makes the festival one of beer supporters for beer supporters.

Something for everyone in the temporary beer halls of Kortrijk: amber, fruit beer, sour beer, old brown, table beer and more. Really all types flowed from bottles or the tap. Although all major brands are represented, the lesser-known breweries are particularly popular. The Ruimtegist Brewery and Biercreaties Pottelbergh serve brews from their own city. From our own province, the stand of the young Anzegem brewer Koen and his brand ‘t Verzet stands out. He tries “to surprise with new flavors because enough tripels have already been made”. Some companies also released a new beer especially for the festival.

At 10:30 p.m., the stocks closed their barrels. Traditionally, the volunteers kindly advise those who have already had one too many drinks to go home.