Vintage beer heaven (Bierhuis Kulminator)

Charles D Cook travels to Bierhuis Kulminator in Antwerp, home to some of the rarest Belgian beers

When the subject of vintage brews arises among beer lovers, there is one café that has a well-deserved reputation as aged beer heaven: Bierhuis Kulminator.

Located in Antwerp, Belgium, the Kulminator has been delighting its patrons since 1979 with aged and fresh beers alike.

Husband and wife owners Dirk Van Dyck and Leen Boudewijn (pictured) first opened a beer cafe in 1974, in the suburb of Kiel. It was called Bodega (nicknamed Biertempel Van Dyck) and was Belgium’s first specialty beer bar. Several hundred brews from across Belgium and several other countries were available here, in a period when most beers stayed local.

Bodega was a small venue that became so popular that Dirk needed a bigger space to accommodate all the beer lovers that came there from around Antwerp. He and Leen moved the business to a larger building near the centre of Antwerp in 1979, and named the new café De Kulminator, after the strong German lager EKU 28 (also known as Kulminator 28). Dirk was the sole importer of this beer in Belgium from 1979- 89: “In the 80s, the local people of Antwerp flocked here to taste the EKU 28, and of course many other brews. The name was a curiosity to them, as was the beer,” said Dirk.

De Kulminator is now a destination spot for beer tourists from around the world.

While the primary draw is the huge aged beer selection, numbering in the hundreds, Dirk carries many newer brews as well. Perhaps there are 200 to 300 different contemporary beers from around Belgium a.....

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By Charles D Cook

Section : Spotlight

Page number : 25