April 14, 2014 · Team HG
ADHD, Den Dorstige Tijger, Snaterwater, Lamme Goedzak, and Platte Thijs. This is just a small selection from the countless specialty beers served in the Martinikerk last weekend. At the invitation of HorecaGroningen.nl, we were guests at the fourth Groningen Beer Festival, where we enjoyed food and drinks in a charming atmosphere. An impression of the atmosphere.
For centuries, the Martinikerk has served as a place where believers can profess their faith. Nowadays, the imposing building at the foot of the Grote Markt is also used for other purposes. For instance, students take their exams there, lovers exchange vows, and music lovers attend a concert. This time, it was the beer lovers' turn. The Beer Festival is not a festival like the ones we might be used to in the city. Here, people shun loud music and spectacular light shows. On this sunny day, the light comes only from above. Not from the sky, but through the magnificent high windows that the church boasts.
The organization of the annual Beer Festival is in the hands of Maik van Heerd van Café de ToeterSpread across three sessions (Friday evening, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday evening), they expected to welcome approximately five thousand people. This was a rather unsubtle emphasis on the word 'man,' as women were unfortunately heavily outnumbered. Anyone hoping to fortify themselves with a drink before going on the prowl was therefore in for a rude awakening. Nevertheless, they had every reason to make it a wonderful afternoon (we attended the second session). The promised atmospheric ambiance was clearly palpable: visitors, brewers, and organizers were determined to make it a party together. Not least because the beer flowed freely, as a matter of course.
The responsibility of supplying the many thirsty throats with this beer lay with the approximately fifty different exhibitors. Importers of foreign specialty beers, but especially the various small private breweries, had stylishly decorated their bars. We spoke to a number of them. At Martin Ostendorf's of the Muifel Brewery, we drank our first beverage, a Platte Thijs, a bitter blonde beer. An extensive explanation of the brewing process followed, but what was more interesting was the story behind the name ‘Platte Thijs’. During the time of Spanish rule, Thijs was the Dutch Robin Hood in the area around Hoorn. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor. This was not appreciated by everyone, and due to fierce resistance during his arrest, he lost his nose to the sword, which earned him his nickname. An interesting history lesson, then, at the Beer Festival. We also spoke to Johannes from Brandsma Brewery in Leeuwarden. Under the watchful eye of his visibly proud father, he revealed the secret of his Dropbock to us, a bock beer with licorice extract. His secret? It was actually just a ‘lucky shot’; his brews regularly fail. His Dropbock earned the young Frisian first prize during the bock beer masterclass. His ambition: to bring his own beer to market.
Was it all smooth sailing, then? You might almost think so after reading this story. Yet, there is room for a critical note. Although the day's program could be read on the website and on Twitter, no information was available on site. The announcer was difficult to understand, although this is inherent to the chosen location. The same applies to the lack of running water. To rinse the many glasses, rinsing buckets were used, which could be filled and emptied at the specially reserved Rinsing Square. Not very hygienic and also a strange sight, all that lugging of buckets through the crowd. A few people were bothered by the lack of seating. Besides the sparse church pews, only the Chapel was set up for this. And so we ended up on the steps in front of the cloakroom, not the most convenient spot.
When we take stock of an afternoon at the Beer Festival, the result is positive. The organization had everything under control and seemed professional and very aware of its task. Apart from the aforementioned surplus of men, the crowd was diverse, ranging from twenty-somethings to seniors. The location gave the event just the chic vibe it needed, and the beers left us wanting more. The Groningen cheese boutique was selling cheese there, by the way. Made with the help of, you guessed it, beer. And so, in a charming atmosphere, we enjoyed a bite and a drink.
Text: Ruud Beens
Photos: Niels de Vries
© Horecagroningen.nl
