An update on the rapid developments in the Grand Duchy

The Beierhaascht brewpub, which opened in November 2002, is located at 240 Avenue de Luxembourg in Bascharage. There is a restaurant, a terrace with its own outdoor bar and a three-star hotel with 28 rooms (tel: 00350 26 508550; fax: 00350 26 508599; e-mail: info@beierschaascht.lu). There is also a specialist charcuterie, with some hams selling at up to 180 Euros a piece. It is a barn of a place where no expense has been spared. Opened in November 2002. All the beer brewed on site is sold either on draught in the restaurant or in bottles at the shop. Current production is 130 hl per annum but they are aiming to increase this to 300 hl per annum by adding two more fermentation tanks. At the moment they are producing two beers, Hell (5.1%) and Donkel (6.3%). Both are unfiltered but need some more work on them. A Weizenbier (5.2%) will launch in May.

Progress at the Cornelyshaff brewery in the village of Heinerscheid in north eastern Luxembourg can be followed on their new website (www.cornelyshaff.lu), currently only in German. The project, which is run by a farmers' co-operative in a ruined building that was renovated the local council and the Luxembourg Ministry of Agriculture, opened officially on 4th April 2003. On site at Maison 37 on Heinerscheid's main street is the brewery and a café-restaurant with eight letting rooms. There is also a shop for goods such as pressed hemp oil and buck wheat noodles. They produce cheese on site, along with a mustard that is laced with local honey. There are four beers:

Wellen Ourdaller (6.8%) is a bottled beer brewed with buckwheat
Waissen Ourdaller (4.6%) is a bottled beer brewed with spelt
On draught in the café-restaurant are:
A Pilsener called Hengeschter (4.2%) and a
rye beer called Kornelybeier (4.2%).

The brewer lives in Germany and commutes across the border to work. They are distilling the buckwheat beer to make a 42% abv spirit.

Meanwhile there is news of quality improvements at the third of Luxembourg's newer breweries, Redange. Four permanent beers are brewed, each in a style of a different country. Okult no. 1. or Blanche, is a Belgian style wheat beer. Okult no. 2, or Rousse, is a Bavarian style Bockbier. Okult no. 3, or Blonde, is a Luxembourg style lager aimed at the local market. The fourth, called Stout (6.2%) is a British style Stout. It was originally a winter beer but has become so popular that it is brewed all year round. What is the betting it will end up as Okult no. 4 and get called Noir or something? Two one-off beers are planned for this year - a May Bock (7.2%) and a Summer Blanche brewed with Elderberry flowers. He uses organic hops from Germany. Brewing happens twice a week but there are plans to increase this to six times a week.

As if to smite us mightily for being so rude about little Luxembourg, fate has also arranged the opening of a National Brewing Museum at Wiltz Castle, complete with its own picobrewery, brewing beer in batches of 50 litres! More details when I overcome my fear of Luxembourg Sundays.