LambicLand: the new Guide to the Payottenland from Tim Webb, Podge and Joris Pattyn

LambicLand: what's this book all about then?

Quite simply, LambicLand is the essential new Guide to the Payottenland from Tim Webb, Podge and Joris Pattyn. Podge did most of the café research, Tim did most of the writing: Joris did all of the translation into Dutch - hence the book's alternative title of LambikLand. LambicLand/Lambikland is unique: never before has anyone written a Guide to this very special part of Belgium. As Tim says in his introduction: "lambic is the oldest and certainly the most remarkable beer style in the world', and the Guide tells you where you can find "the world's most complex beer in the simplest cafés". They wrote the book so that you too can discover a "world of timeless small cafés, which modern values have no time to allow". Many of these cafés will not be around in a year, or two years' time - never mind in five or ten years' time. If you think I'm exaggerating, then just think what happened to Oud Beersel and its magnificent café - In 't Bierhuis Oud Beersel - now closed like so many others. This Guide will take you to all the remaining places - but you best get there quick before it's all too late.

What's in it apart from notes on a few cafés?

The book packs a huge amount into its 64 impressive, full colour pages, which are in English and Dutch throughout. It kicks off with a foreword by Sven Gatz, Member of the Flemish Parliament, whose support for the lambic cause is essential, given what the EU bureaucrats would do with the lambic industry if they got their way. Having an eminent politician like Mr Gatz support this book is a major coup, which emphasizes what a superb job has been done by the authors. A detailed section on the lambic brewing process is followed by notes on all the remaining lambic makers. Beer ratings are provided using the usual Webbometer star system: it's great to see De Cam, for instance, receiving the credit that is due for its increasingly impressive efforts. Next up it's travel tips on the Payottenland: so, if you've ever wondered how to get to Schepdaal or Eizeringen on the bus, all the info you need is in the Guide. Hotels are heavily researched and are featured in their own section, which lists all the hotels that the authors could find in the area - an impressive selection given that the area is home to so many very small villages.

Then the main section of the book: notes on all the cafés. Unlike the usual Tim Webb criteria, these cafés do not have to have 60 beers to qualify for Guide inclusion. Instead, they are in this Guide because they all serve lambic beers - many on draught - and most are atmospheric gems which are one of a dying breed, like: Rie van Mollem (in Mollem); Oude Smis van Mekingen in Sint Pieters Leeuw; and Rare Vos in Schepdaal. Full write ups of nearly 100 cafés are beautifully presented with all the details of beers served, opening times and directions. There's an extensive write up on Brussels - not in the Payottenland but a city with many outlets where you can find lambic beers if you know where to look - and the Heeren van Liedekercke, a classic lambic café also situated just outside the Payottenland. Cantillon gets a whole section to itself and its amazing history and beers, and finally other lambic museums feature in a special section at the back of the book, including details of the remarkable Grote Dorst, known to many babblers as the site of the famous Nacht van Grote Dorst, in March, 2004. In short, the Guide contains everything you need to know, and more, about the Payottenland.

Who are the authors?

Tim Webb is THE authority on Belgian beer, having produced four Good Beer Guides to Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg, already, with a fifth planned for 2005. This is the first book produced by Tim's new publishing company, Cogan and Mater.

Podge (aka Chris Pollard) is one of the great characters of the Belgian beer scene. Based in that Belgian suburb of Chelmsford, Essex, Podge spends most of his spare time traveling to Belgium. He has run beer tours all over Belgium for the last ten years, and has the most amazing ability to find previously undiscovered beer cafés.

Joris Pattyn, an Antwerper, was a founding member of the OBP, has judged at the GABF, GBBF and other festivals around the world, and has over 25 years experience of beer tasting and hunting. He is also an excellent linguist, as this book certainly proves.

What Tim, Podge and Joris don't know about Belgian beer isn't really worth knowing; if I ever know even 20% of what any of them knows about BBs then I will certainly be doing very well indeed. And if you've ever wondered what they look like, here's a photo taken on the day of the book's launch, at the Buggenhout Festival of Spontaneous Fermentation on the 29th of May, 2004 (L to R: Tim, Podge and Joris):

How can I buy LambicLand?

Click here to buy the book online

The price for one copy is £7.75, $14.95 or 11.75 euros (all prices include P & P; discounts for bulk orders) which is a bargain for such a high quality publication. You can also order direct from Podge at podgehome@blueyonder.co.uk who can also tell you about discount for purchases of 10 or more, and advise on payment by UK sterling cheque. Finally, if you are going to Belgium soon you should be able to pick up the Guide in some of the better beer establishments over there - just ask on the BBB first and we should be able to point you in the right direction.

Why do I need to buy LambicLand when I already have Tim Webb's Good Beer Guide to Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg?

One very important point to bear in mind with regard to LambicLand is that it is not merely an illustrated sub-set of Tim Webb's Good Beer Guide that covers the whole of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. As outlined above, only a handful of the entries in the LambicLand book meet the 60 beer target for inclusion in the Benelux Guide. Therefore, without this new book, you will be missing out on some of the most special, life-enhancing places that serve perhaps only a handful of beers, albeit exceptional ones. Some of the places are fairly basic, but totally atmospheric; others are quite grand, with top-class food thrown in for good measure. If you already have the other Webb Guide but want to experience some of Belgium's hidden gems, many of which are under threat, then I would strongly recommend this superb new book, which will greatly enhance your next trip to our favourite country.

JezzaP

Original version: June, 2004
Updated: September 2004

(with thanks to John White for assistance with this review)