I am on my way to a chateau in the heart of Burgundy. A mate is picking me up from Beaune – the wine capital of the region, and I had two hours to kill. Fortuitously, a brewpub is nine minutes walk from the train station. Alas, when I get there (and it is a trek with my luggage) – it is shut and it isn’t a brewpub. I hear “Bonjour”. “Are you open?”. “Oui”. The proprietor gets out his key and opens the door. He explains it is a brewery and they sell beer, but it isn’t a tap room. He sees my shoulders fall.
“But it is Friday, it is the end of the day. Wait here”. He returns with two glasses of beer, hands me one, and says Cheers. It turns out that Nicholas is one of the three founders of Belenium, Beaune’s first craft brewery. The name Belenium derived from a god of fast flowing water. Somehow, Beaune is somehow a latinised gallic derivation of Belena, the god.
After imbibing a top quality pale ale, I ask Nicholas for a recommendation in town. “It must serve Belenium beer”. He nominates a place. “How far?” “Does Beaune have Uber?”. He snorts in amusement. “I will drive you”. (I had paid 21 Euros for a magnum of vintage Amber).
He talks about his philosophy. Beer is all about balance. Not too heavy. No IPAs. His heaviest style is a tripel. Nicholas wants his beers to be accessible, but not a lager. His pale is lovely, his blonde a joy, and I’ll update this post once I crack open the magnum.
Merci beaucoup, Nicholas. You are a good bloke and a bloody good brewer.
back of the ferry 