For the first time since 2018 the international geuze and kriek beer festival will be held on Friday 21 April. As was the case 5 years ago the festival will be held in the centre of Itterbeek, a village that is part of the Flemish Brabant municipality of Dilbeek. De Nacht Van De Grote Dorst (The Night of Great Thirst) as the festival is known features brings together fans of lambic and geuze beer from both Belgium and abroad.
Traditional lambic beer in the spotlight during "The Night of Great Thirst"
Published:
The location of the festival is in the very heart of the region in which lambic based beers are produced: the Pajottenland and Zenne Valley areas of Flemish Brabant and Brussels that has one such brewery in the municipality of Anderlecht.
The Gueuze Society that organises the festival was founded in 2012. It promotes the regional produce of the Pajottenland area, more specifically beers from the region that are brewed via spontaneous fermentation such as lambic, geuze, kriek. In addition to the organisation of what prior to the coronavirus pandemic had been a biannual festival, the Geuze society also organises other smaller festivals and events such as lecturers.
by organising festivals and lectures. The Gueuze Society aims to bring gueuze enthusiasts together. At the last festival in 2018 more than a quarter of the 2,500 visitors at the festival came from abroad.
History
The first International Gueuze and Kriek Festival, better known as the Night of Great Thirst, took place in 2004. The first festival was intended as a protest against threats by the Federal Food Safety Agency (FAVV) to close down a number of lambic breweries in Flemish Brabant. Beer lovers from Belgium and abroad who wished to express their support to the brewers of lambic beers.
About 700 people attented the first festival that was held in Eizeringen, near Lennik (Flemish Brabant). This was twice the number that had been expected.
Since then the festival has gone from strength to strength. It now takes place at Itterbeek that is just a couple of kilometres outside Brussels and is easily accessible on public transport.
Getting there
The following De Lijn bus services stop within easy walking distance of the festival site
R28 (Brussels North Station to Ninove) - Stop Dilbeek Stelplaats
116 (Brussels South Station to Essene via Itterbeek and Ternat). Stops Itterbeek Windmuts, Itterbeek Breugheldal or Itterbeek Dorp.
117 (Brussels South Station to Sint-Martens Bodegem via Itterbeek). Stops Itterbeek Windmuts, Itterbeek Breugheldal or Itterbeek Dorp.
127 (Brussels North Station to Ninove via Roosdaal and Liedekerke). Stop Dilbeek Stelplaats
810 Halle to Groot-Bijgaarden via Itterbeek and Dilbeek). Stops Itterbeek Windmuts, Itterbeek Breugheldal or Itterbeek Dorp.
Address: Kerkstraat (behind the church), 1701 Itterbeek.