Numerous Brussels museums, cultural centers and concert halls open their doors on Saturday evening from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. during the Museum Fever Night. This is the sixteenth time that the event has taken place, but it will be a first for the Schaerbeek Beer Museum in Louis Bertrandlaan. 72-year-old Michel Roevens is one of the managers: “We are not thinking about stopping anytime soon.”
The Schaarbeek Beer Museum is a treasure trove of beer history and culture. It was founded in 1993 by Claude Paulet (FDF ships in Schaarbeek from 1977 to 2001). It was officially opened a year later.
With a collection of more than five thousand glasses and more than two thousand bottles that tell the rich history of beer, the museum offers visitors a unique journey through time. “There are many bottles and glasses from breweries that no longer exist,” says 72-year-old Michel Roevens, one of the managers. Together with a dozen other retirees, he keeps the museum running. “If we did not do this, there is a good chance that the museum would no longer exist. To be clear, we are not thinking of stopping anytime soon.”
Next year the museum will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. “Then Manneken Pis will wear our costume again,” says Roevens. “That was the first time the museum celebrated its tenth anniversary. And now it is a tradition every ten years.”
The costume is an apron that brewers used to wear, in the colors of Schaarbeek. “We also wear those aprons in the museum when we receive visitors,” says Roevens.
Because volunteers guarantee its continued existence, the museum is only open on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. In any case, the invitation from the organization of Museum Night Fever was a surprise. It is the first time since the event started in 2008 that Roevens and co. were contacted.
Don’t expect much to change after tonight. The volunteers will also be responsible for expanding the collection in the coming weeks, months and years. “It must remain affordable, because we do everything ourselves,” says Roevens. Flea markets are a bit more difficult to find, but they always scour exchange fairs looking for new items. Furthermore, they regularly received donations. “Four years ago we received an email from someone who wanted to donate his collection. We already had about two thousand glasses, but thanks to him we received at least three thousand more. It took us more than three days to put everything together,” recalls Roevens himself.
Large collection
Now there is hardly any room for new items. “We could use another glass every now and then, but it is already a beautiful and large collection,” Roevens claims.
In addition to the beer bottles and glasses, there is also a lot of equipment on display that was previously used to brew and package beer. An old beer cart from Wielemans is a striking showpiece. “For example, we show how they rinsed bottles and placed crown caps on them.”
They also recreated an old café, where old café games are also shown. For enthusiasts, there is a real café where visitors can enjoy a fresh pint.
The Schaerbeek Beer Museum cannot be compared with the new beer museum (Belgian Beer World) in the renovated stock exchange building, says Roevens. “There is a large display case where breweries can put their bottles and glasses. But that costs them 1,500 euros. So a lot of money is involved. With us, on the other hand, the museum has been built up little by little. And I think we ultimately even have more material than Belgian Beer World.”
“A ticket also costs 17 euros, while we only charge 5 euros,” Roevens adds. Belgian Beer World has previously been criticized because it hardly includes Brussels breweries.
Roevens also points to the challenges of the current time, in which smaller breweries are being taken over by major players such as AB Inbev. According to him, this has led to changes in the taste and quality of some well-known beers. “A white from Hoegaarden used to be sour. That is no longer the case, and they now make a variant with lemon to imitate the sour. The same with the beers from Belle-Vue. Since it was bought by AB Inbev, it is not more of the same beer.”
33 participating museums
The Schaarbeek Beer Museum is one of the 33 participating museums. Please note: the museum closes its doors at 11 p.m., instead of 1 a.m.
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
