Brasserie Cantillon’s next Zwanze Day will take place in 2026 on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Once again, the event is planned for a full global scale.

What is Zwanze Day?

Zwanze day is a biannual event that Cantillon holds, in which they brew a small batch of an experimental beer and offer it for sale in a select group of pubs around the world.  This beer is usually a different style each time, and is something other than a traditional Cantillon lambic.  This allows the brewers to experiment and take part in the fun, semi-sarcastic humor of Brussels, the true meaning of the word zwanze.

Change to Biannual

In 2023, Cantillon decided to change the timing of frequency and timing of Zwanze Day in order to focus on the increased requirements to manage the production of their lambics during the autumn harvest period. Instead of hosting Zwanze Day every year at the end of September, the event will now alternate with Quintessence in April, with either Quintessence or Zwanze Day occurring each year.

Zwanze Beers

In 2026, Cantillon will do something new for Zwanze Day, with two different Zwanze beers being released on tap for the event. Both beers are vermouth blends in collaboration with craft vermouth producer Vermouth Sullivan from Besançon, France. There will be both a Kriek-Vermouth blend as well as a Lambic-Vermouth blend.

The Kriek-Vermouth Blend is Artémis La Rouge, and is a blend of Cantillon Kriek and a maceration of wormwood, marjoram, verbena, rosebuds, curry plant, and other herbs and roots.

The Lambic-Vermouth blend is Artémis La Blance, a blend of Cantillon two-year-old lambic and a maceration of gentian, rhubarb root, wormwood, coriander, juniper, sage, and many other herbs/.

I visited the Cantillon brewery in Brussels a number of times throughout 2013, including a visit in September for their Zwanze Day event both at the brewery and at the Moeder Lambic pub in Brussels. One of the best benefits of visiting the brewery in person is that you can often sample beers that are not available for retail sale and take-home consumption, but only for sampling on site. You also have the opportunity to tour the working brewing facilities during your visit, which is quite a treat as this is a true visage of old-time brewing traditional methods.

Cantillon has seen a large amount of growth recently, including the use of Brussels’ old abandoned bomb shelter for cellaring their beers for up to thirty years and an expansion near their current brewing facility that doubled their brewing capacity.  They also recently purchased a large new addition of barrels in which to age their lambics.  This should lead to increased production of their current line of offerings, and hopefully new offerings in the future?

Cantillon Zwanze 2014 – Cuvee Florian

For 2014, the Zwanze beer was called “Cuvée Florian“, and is a blend of Cantillon Oude Kriek, with 40% less fruit, and Iris Grand Cru, aged for three years in a 400-liter cask, with no secondary fermentation.  This beer was initially made as a one-off for Jean van Roy’s son’s 18th birthday, and has now been elevated to Zwanze 2014.

Zwanze 2015 was a spontaneously fermented stout called Wild Brussels Stout.  The beer was initially brewed in March, 2013 and was a candidate for Zwanze 2014, but was held back in favor of the Cuvee Florian.

Zwanze 2016 was a fruity lambic blend of raspberry and blueberry, with the tartness offset by some natural vanilla. This beer seems to have been a predecessor of Magic Lambic.

Zwanze 2017 is going to be an Oolong Tea – Two-year-old Lambic blend, made in honor of the 18th birthday of Jean van Roy’s youngest son, Sylvain.

Zwanze 2018 – The 2018 Zwanze beer, Manneken Pise, is a blend of lambics aged for two years in Amarone, Chianti, and Sangiovese barrels. The barrels impart a woody, wine-like character, with flavors of mango and citrus. The beer is dedicated to the Italian friends of Cantillon who help them to protect the traditional Lambic heritage.

Zwanze 2019 – The 2019 Zwanze beer is a departure from prior years, and will be a unique new beer, a smoked lambic, made with a blend of classic pilsner malts and smoked malts. The beer was brewed in March, 2016 and kegged in January 2018.

Zwanze 2020 – The Zwanze 2020 beer is called Brettrave, which is a play on betterave, the French word for beet. This beetroot Lambic’s color is an intense, almost flourescent red, with a fruity yet quite earthy aroma. The palate is complex, balancing the acidity of the Lambic with the earthy roundness of the beetroot.

For 2021, the Zwanze beer was Parasol, a special blend of lambic and citrus, mostly oranges. This Zwanze is a throwback to a recipe attempted 70 years earlier by Paul Cantillon, the brewer of Cantillon in the 1950’s, and the great grandfather of the current brewing family. The beer will have a thirst-quenching mix of lambic acidity with fresh fruitiness from the citrus, contrasting with the bitterness of the citrus zest.

In 2022, Cantillon Zwanze was a blend of two-year-old lambic and Congolese black pepper. The pepper is called poivre de Gorilles and came from Misao: La Maison des Poivres in Brussels. The pepper is grown wild in the Likouala Forest in the northeastern region of the Republic of the Congo, The forest is home to a number of the endangered Lowland gorillas. As such, a portion of the profits from the year’s Zwanze event were donated to Gorilla, an organization dedicated to protecting the great apes. Poivre de Gorilles is aromatic, but not too spicy. The spice blends nicely with the acidity of the lambic. It will pair well with meat or fish dishes.

The 2022 Zwanze proved so popular that it has now become a regular release from Cantillon known as Ashanti Lambic, with a little more focus on the lambic than the 2022 Zwanze release.

The 2024 Zwanze was a new type of flavor profile for Cantillon. The primary addition to the Zwanze blend was a type of sea lettuce such as is used for abalone farming in Brittany in France. There is a special batch of a few dozen bottles of Cantillon Gueuze lying submerged, aging in the sea near Finistère. The beers are aging in harmony with the local mollusks, who feed on different sorts of algae. This sea lettuce is the best of these algae and seaweeds to bend well with a Lambic, resulting in a perfect reflection of the concept of Zwanze. The Cantillon Zwanze 2024 was a departure from normal lambics, offering more salinity and iodine reminiscent of oysters.

Zwanze Day Locations

The list of bars participating in Zwanze Day, 2024 was released on February 16, 2024. You can find the complete list below. Typically, there is an obligatory 9PM Central European Time start – but be sure to check the release time at the venue you plan to participate at,!

Jean van Roy, Master Brewer at Cantillon, typically leads the ceremonies from the Moeder Lambic – Fontainas pub in Brussels at 9 PM CET.

Here is the video of Jean van Roy introducing Zwanze 2013:

In 2017, the Cantillon, Moeder Lambic, and Magic Land Theater crews put on a rather ornate event surrounding the beer’s release:

Most of these bars will be selling tickets for the event, which often sell out quickly. Contact the pub where you wish to attend to see when tickets will be available and book yours as soon as you can.

Australia

• Wildflower Brewing and Blending – Sydney
• Belgian Beer Café – Melbourne

Austria

• AmmutsØn – Vienna

Belgium

• Moeder Lambic Fontainas – Brussels
• Moeder Lambic Saint– Gilles – Brussels
• Soho English Pub – Arlon
• De Gebrande Winning – Sint– Truiden
• Café Pardaf – Antwerpen
• ‘t Brugs Beertje – Brugge

Canada

• Dieu du Ciel – Montréal, QC

• Vices & Versa – Montréal, QC
• Birreria Volo – Toronto, ON
• Four Winds Brewing Co. – Delta, BC

China

• MEDISN · RESET – JinJiang District, Chengdu
• PI Brew – Gongshu District, Hangzhou
• U9U10 Gastropub – Heping District, Tianjin

South Korea

• Coolship Tap House – Seoul
• Fritz Fritz – Busan

Denmark

• Væskebalancen Bar and Bottle Shop Blågårdsgade – Copenhagen

Finland

• Olutravintola Pikkulintu Puotila

France

• La Fine Mousse – Paris
• La Capsule – Lille
• Brasserie du Mont Salève – Neydens
• Le Bièrographe – Toulouse
• Donald’s Pub – Angers
• Orgao Beer House – Lyon
• Brasserie Levain – Besancon
• Victor Cave & Bistrot – Marseille

Germany

• Café Herman – Berlin
• Brauhaus Zum Schwanen – Esslingen
• Brauerei Zehendner – Mönchsambach

Great Britain

• six°north at The Marine Hotel – Stonehaven
• Beer Merchants Tap – London
• Fuggles Beer Cafe – Tonbridge Wells
• Small Bar – Bristol
• Ship & Mitre – Liverpool
• Two Thirds Beer Co. – Sheffield
• TripelB – Worcester
• Koelschip Yard – Glasgow
• Bier Draak – Norwich

Greece

• The Hoppy Pub – Thessaloniki

Italy

• Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà – Roma
• Abbazia di Sherwood – Caprino Bergamasco
• LambicZoon – Milano
• The Drunken Duck – Quinto Vicentino
• Bluebeat Pub – Lecce
• Birre & Mondo Crudele – Crema
• Storie di Pinte – San Lazzaro
• Mosaik Beer House – Catania

Japan

• Cafe & Bar Cluster – Kashiwa
• Wine no Ojisama – Nara
• Kiya – Nagoya

Netherlands

• Folkingebrew The Pub – Groningen
• Distilleerderij ’t Nieuwe Diep – Amsterdam
• Kaapse Maria – Rotterdam

New Zealand

• Garage Project Wild Workshop – Wellington

Norway

• Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri – Oslo

Poland

• Pułapka – Gdansk
• Biała Małpa – Katowice

Portugal

• Catraio – Porto

Spain

• Masia Agullons – Sant Joan de Mediona
• Be Hoppy – Madrid
• Brew Wild Pizza Bar – Madrid
• HomoSibaris – Barcelona
• Homosibaris La Cebada – Zaragoza
• Bar Desy – Donostia/San Sebastián

Sweden

• Zum Franziskaner – Stockholm

Switzerland

• Bièrecafé Au Trappiste – Bern

United States

• Armsby Abbey – Worcester, MA
• Brick Store Pub – Atlanta, GA
• Cochon Butcher – New Orleans, LA
• Craft Wine & Beer – Reno, NV
• de Garde Brewing – Tillamook, OR
• DeCicco & Sons – Sleepy Hollow, NY
• Delaware Supply – Albany, NY
• Garden Path Fermentation – Bellingham, WA
• Golden Age – Homestead, PA
• Holy Grale – Louisville, KY
• Hopleaf Bar – Chicago, IL
• Lúpulo – Santa Cruz, CA
• Monk’s Café – Philadelphia, PA
• Moor Room – Buffalo, NY
• Nice N Easy – Johnson City, TX
• Novare Res Bier Café – Portland, ME
• Pour Company – Moscow, ID
• Russian River Brewing – Santa Rosa, CA
• Sante Adairius – Oakland, CA
• Schera’s – Elkader, IA
• Side Project Brewing – Maplewood, MO
• Silver Stamp – Las Vegas, NV
• Stumbling Monk – Seattle, WA
• The Sovereign – Washington D.C.
• The Veil Brewing Co. – Richmond, VA
• The Whale – Charleston, SC
• Tørst – Brooklyn, NY
• Windsor Homebrew Supply Co. – Costa Mesa, CA
• Wooden Nickel Public House – Hillsborough, NC
• Wren House – Phoenix, AZ
• Yazoo Brewing Company – Madison, TN

Long-awaited beer released by lambic producers and blenders such as Antidoot, Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, Tilquin, and Bokke had to be moved online, or were even limited to local Belgian customers only. And events such as Cantillon’s Quintessence and the Night of the Great Thirst were postponed, with Quintessence being moved into 2021 and the Night of the Great Thirst currently being scheduled for September 11. Other events such as 3 Fonteinen’s Lambik Tastings from March and June have also been moved into September, surrounding this year’s Open Beer Days, while the BXL Fest scheduled for August has been cancelled for 2020 (though the Exclusive Beer Packs will still be released and will be available for pickup at Moeder Lambic Fontainas after August 24, 2020.

The fate of Cantillon’s Zwanze Day 2020 is still up in the air, with a final announcement expected by August as to whether there will be an event this year at all, and if so, will it be able to be organized globally or just more localized in Brussels or in Europe.

However, all is not lost for the lambic lover in Europe. Over the past month, restrictions have started to loosen, and many producers and blenders are now able to open their doors again for sales, and now even for tasting. Unfortunately, it is not quite as free and easy as it was before the pandemic. Hours are more restrictive than they were in the past, and reservations are required to visit some locations. If you are lucky enough to be able to get to Europe this summer, here’s some helpful information for planning your visits.

Cantillon Brewery/Brussels Museum of the Gueuze

On May 11, Cantillon reopened the doors of their shop for takeaway only on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, which until June 15 meant for Belgian customers only as the borders were closed between Belgium and the rest of Europe until then. As from June 20, Cantillon has also reopened their bar and the Museum of the Gueuze on Saturdays only, however reservations are required. Tours and the bar both start at 11AM, bar reservations can be made by email to info@cantillon.be, and tours can be booked on the Cantillon Website. The bar closes at 5PM, with the last orders at 4:15 PM.

I visited Cantillon for takeaway on Friday, June 26, and also the bar on Saturday, July 4. There was an excellent selection of bottles available for take away. the bottle list for on-site consumption on the 4th was nothing short of outstanding. the new upstairs bar area is set up for customers. There is adequate space for social distancing and it is marked you can see if you click here, and a maximum of 10 persons per table.

Cantillon does still recognize the social aspect of a visit to Cantillon. You are still allowed to share bottles with others, as long as you use clean glasses and limit the movement around the bar area. If your group does grow, they will also accommodate with a larger table (if available) to help limit the need to walk or pass bottles between tables. They require the use of a mask when you are not seated at your table, and request that only one customer walks up to the bar at a time to order.

Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen and lambik-O-droom

Also on May 11, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen reopened their shop in Lot, again, at first only possible for customers within Belgium to Visit. As from Friday, June 12, the lambik-O-droom has also reopened for on-site consumption. The lambik-O-droom is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 12 Noon until 8:00 PM. Guidelines for visiting, as well as the current offerings available for on-site consumption, can be found on their website, however their on-site beer list is not always up to date, so you’ll want to scan the QR Code on your table to access the latest menu.

I visited the lambik-O-droom on Friday, June 26, and found it to also be quite well organized. Seating was only available outside on the grounds but it was covered and there was plenty of seating for a group (up to 10 people) to sit together and share. The beer selection was outstanding, with a number of the Twist of Fate (Spelling van het Lot) beers that would have been released in May being available for on-site consumption. Packs were also available for sale in the shop, with the same basic packs that were also made available on the webshop, as well as individual bottle sales.

Gueuzerie Tilquin

Gueuzerie Tilquin reopened their shop on June 6, and the shop and taproom are currently open on Saturdays from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM, though they will be closed from July 15 to August 15. Tilquin has a number of interesting packs available for purchase, including their recently released Grape Lambic packs, with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Riesling lambics.

Visting a Belgian Lambic Tasting Room This Summer

We recognize this is a very unique time in the world right now, and our American readers cannot visit Europe under the current travel restrictions and ban. We are not advocating putting yourself at risk to travel, and we wholeheartedly believe in wearing a mask, and social distancing is still the best course of action. Our new cases in the Netherlands are minimal and some rules have relaxed even further as of July 1, 2020. We also drove to the brewery in our private vehicle and took proper precautions. We suggest following the regulations for the location where you live in Europe and adhere to all the rules that each brewery asks you to abide by. As the situation with COVID-19 is ever-changing, we also recommend you confirm the locations are open as you plan your potential visit to any Belgian brewery right now.