Live a Little Crazy

In the heart of the medieval city of Bruges, beer has been brewed at the “Het Walplein” location for more than 500 years. Since 1856, six generations of the Vanneste family have brewed at Brouwerij de Halve Maan (the Half Moon brewery), which was known as the Henri Maes brewery until the late 1990s. In 2005, Xavier Vanneste introduced a new blond ale, that played on an aspect of the city’s long history, and he called it Brugse Zot (The Fool of Bruges).

The History of the City’s Nickname

In the late 15th century, the people of Bruges were unhappy with the strict rule of their new Emperor, Maximilian of Austria, and rebelled. When Maximilian traveled to Bruges in 1488 to put down the rebellion, the people of the city captured him. When they later released him, he banned all festivals and fairs. The citizenry of Bruges, in response, held a huge festival to honor and appease the emperor. They also took the opportunity to ask the emperor for annual fairs and a mental asylum. His famous response was “Close all the gates of Bruges and you have a madhouse!” Since jesters, fools and madmen were referred to as “zotten,” that became the new nickname for the people of Bruges, and they embraced it. Brugse Zot is a link back to that story.

Zot Beers

The original Brugse Zot Blond is a 6.0% Belgian Blond ale made with four malts and two varieties of hops. Its aroma is fruity and spicy. There is a touch of bitterness in its fresh, citrusy flavor. It remains the most popular of the Zot beers.

Brugse Zot Dubbel, at 7.5% alcohol is a dark brown beer made with eight specialty malts and Czech Saaz hops. Aromas of honey, almond, chocolate and brown sugar lead you into a complex flavor profile that includes hints of bitterness, roasted malts, licorice and coffee.

Brugse Bok (6.5%) is a fall seasonal Bock beer in the German and Dutch traditions. Its aroma is spicy with dark fruit notes and flavors that include light bitterness, caramel and raisins.

Finally, one of the best non-alcoholic beers anywhere, Sportzot, uses a natural process to remove the alcohol, while maintaining the character of Brugse Zot Blond.

Live a Little Crazy

Zot’s motto is “Live a Little Crazy.” You don’t actually have to put on a jester’s outfit to do so, but no one would mind if you did. Santè!