The art of brewing is centuries old and Belgium is famed for its tradition of producing beer, often using practices and ingredients conserved for generations. But this doesn't mean it's not also a country of innovation, with one brand taking a novel approach to bring a depth of flavour to its beverages.
The relatively young company Stanneman, based in Herselt (40km north-east of Brussels), has announced a special project in which bottles of its Stanneman Extra Dubbel has been matured at a depth of sixty metres in the Atlantic Ocean, near Brest in France. The limited edition of 500 bottles will be sold in gift boxes alongside a standard bottle of the same variety, allowing a side-by-side comparison. The gift box containing two bottles retails for €50.
The Stanneman brand itself is testament to the enthusiasm of one budding brewer and his wish to instil his love of beer in his young son. As explained on the company website, the founder Erwin Vermeulen started the business after carrying out a zythology course. His dream was a home-run beer brand that would develop to the point that his young son Stan could drink his beer in local establishments when he turned 18.
Innovation or marketing stunt?
So far Stanneman has been gaining popularity in the local area but this innovative method is likely to bring the brand to the attention of beer fans further afield.
The crate of bottles was submerged for a year before being brought back to the surface and taken back to Herselt. "No beer has ever been this deep," Vermeulen boasted to Gazet van Antwerpen – a claim that could not be verified, though it is undeniably an unorthodox innovation in ageing beer.
"Sixty metres deep below sea level is significant. It is dark and there is a constant swell of water. The pressure and the very constant temperature can affect the secondary fermentation of the beer."
Whilst this might have a whiff of marketing hype, the trend for ageing high-end alcoholic beverages below sea is taking off, largely initiated by the discovery in 2010 of over 100 bottles of Veuve-Cliquot champagne in a shipwreck off the coast of Finland. The bottles gathered international interest after tasting revealed that their contents was better than any known to have aged above sea.
It is believed that the constant pressure and temperature undersea make it the perfect environment to age fermented and distilled drinks. Already the 170-year-old bottles of champagne that were recovered have an estimated auction value of $190,000 and now specialised companies are getting into the business.
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It was one such company – French specialist in sea ageing Amphoris – that partnered with Stanneman after searching for a beer brand that might be willing to try the experiment.
To make sure that things went to plan Stanneman used reinforced bottles and wax seals to prevent sea water seeping in and ruining the beer. The first bottle has been tasted, and the team satisfied with the results. "The bottles are tarnished with shells, algae and more. The metal rings around the cork are already quite rusty on many of them," says Stanneman marketing manager Tim Wouters. "I felt like a pirate finding a box in the sea."
An additional 200 bottles have been kept aside by the brewer, "partly to donate to beer reviewers and close friends".
