July 6, 2016 · Team HG
BAX Bier, by now a household name among Groningen beer lovers. The young, innovative beer brand is currently building its own brewery and recently opened a tasting room on Friesestraatweg. Founder Jeroen Bax talks about his passion, his plans, and his beer.
In the large, open, and bright space in the building at Friesestraatweg 201, the brewing kettles are already easy to picture. Before long, BAX beers will be produced in large quantities on Groningen soil. Previously, this took place in Amsterdam and Belgium, but Jeroen Bax (29 years old) cannot wait to fire up his own brewing kettles and beer lines. The kettles are still a little while away, but in the meantime, there are plenty of other things to do.
Location
The building is situated between Paddepoel and Vinkhuizen, an area with few hospitality establishments. A strategic location, thinks Jeroen Bax, especially as he points to the cycle path used daily by many students on their way to the Zernike complex. The cycle route overlooks the BAX terrace on the banks of the Reitdiep. The circle of chairs suggests that convivial times have been enjoyed here, but over time, the terrace will be renovated into a kind of beach bar with a boulevard-like character.
Tasting room
The tasting room – which adjoins the terrace – is a spacious area filled with robust, distinctive furniture. Tables, chairs, bar stools, picnic benches, and a rocking chair; all made from recycled pallet and scaffolding wood from Winschoten. “Everything has passed through our own hands,” says Jeroen Bax, “that adds a touch of soul and experience to the tasting room, both for us and for our visitors.” The room will be run by Marloes Bax, the owner's brand-new wife, who is in charge of the twelve taps, among other things, and perhaps the kitchen with daily specials in the future.
Entertainment
Every beer lover should feel at home and be able to enjoy themselves in the venue. Bax wants to make room for a pool table and create the possibility for table football. There are ideas to broadcast Tour de France stages and organize a ‘Bring Your Own Meat Day’. All kinds of board games are laid out on the tables, to keep the humor alive alongside the beer tasting. Humor is a quality that Jeroen Bax possesses himself. The remarkable names for his beers, such as ‘Kon Minder’, ‘Rokkenjager’, and ‘Oma’s Pruim’, were his own input. The labels further explain the names to prevent confusion, but they bring a smile to many a reader's face.
Beers
When asked how the beers are created, the initiator indicates that it is simple. “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We often gather about ten to twenty beers of the same type and start tasting them. We try to bring together what we like about each of these beers and recreate it in our own beers.” The brewers draw inspiration from American brewing techniques and experiments, and consequently keep refining the recipes until they are satisfied. That pays off: ‘Kon Minder’ and ‘Koud Vuur’ were awarded silver and gold at the Brussels Beer Challenge 2015.
Just as the love for beer originated in father's kitchen years ago, the ambition to bring home-brewed beer to market grew in Austria in 2013. In 2016, their own brewery was built and a tasting room opened. BAX Bier is far from finished brewing; what more can we expect from these ambitious guys? We are keeping an eye on them.
BAX can be found in several liquor stores and hospitality establishments and is supplied by a specialty beer wholesaler. Bier&Co.
The BAX Proeflokaal at Friesestraatweg 201/2a is open every Thursday and Friday from 16:00 and every Saturday and Sunday from 14:00.
View the here website and Facebook from BAX Beer.
