In the bustling, multicultural Schaerbeek neighborhood of Brussels, Belgium, a brewery is quietly revolutionizing the local beer landscape with its unwavering commitment to German-style lagers. Brasserie de la Mule, a relative newcomer to the Belgian brewing scene, is captivating beer enthusiasts with its unique approach and dedication to traditional styles.
At first glance, the brewery's taproom may resemble other craft beer havens in the city, with its bare brick walls, wooden cable drum tables, and a general air of decorative disarray. However, the beer list tells a different story, with words like helles, lager, and pils hinting at the brewery's singular focus.
I don't brew beer for beer's sake, says founder and head brewer Joel Galy. I believe that beer has to be drunk in company, so beer has to be brewed for drinking. This philosophy is at the heart of Brasserie de la Mule's mission, as Galy seeks to bring the communal, social aspect of German beer drinking to the Belgian capital.
One of the brewery's defining features is its use of decoction mashing, a laborious but flavorful technique that is rarely seen in Belgium. By boiling a portion of the mash and then reintroducing it, Galy is able to extract more tannins from the grain, resulting in a rich, full-bodied lager that captures the essence of the Bavarian beer culture.
You get a little bit of the German taste not through getting the attenuation down, but because of what you get when you boil more of the tannin of the grain, Galy explains. That is for me the real German lager taste. It has to taste of the raw materials.
In addition to the decoction process, Brasserie de la Mule also employs generous lagering times, with a standard of 8 weeks at 0.5°C (33°F). This extended maturation period allows the flavors to meld and the beer to develop its distinctive character.
The brewery's flagship helles is a prime example of this meticulous approach. Deep gold in color, with a rich and rugged caramel note that is restrained in its sweetness, the helles is full-bodied and absurdly drinkable, thanks to its low bitterness, long-lingering dryness, and bittersweet finish.
You don't have to think about them when drinking them, Galy says of the German-style beers. You drink a beer and then you order another one. Your focus is not on drinking, but on being with someone, whether it be family, friends, or whoever.
This dedication to the social aspect of beer drinking is a hallmark of Brasserie de la Mule's approach. Galy, who has spent time working at the renowned Brasserie Cantillon, is adamant that his beers are meant to be enjoyed in the company of others, whether it's at a wedding, a gathering of friends, or simply a casual moment of camaraderie.
While Brasserie de la Mule's focus may be on German-style lagers, the brewery is not closed off to other styles. Galy has experimented with a Berliner weisse, a dunkelweisse, and a hopfenweisse, the latter of which is an ethereal and exemplary blend of the classic clove and banana notes of the weisse style with a soft hop character.
We have a project involving cherry trees, which come from this area, Galy says, referring to the famous Schaerbeek sour cherries that were traditionally used for kriek. Cherry trees have been planted in the gardens of locals, and last year we mixed Cantillon and hopfenweisse and then added cherries locals had picked and they went home with the bottles. It was not sold commercially.
As Brasserie de la Mule continues to captivate beer enthusiasts with its unwavering commitment to traditional German styles, the brewery's impact on the Belgian beer landscape is undeniable. Galy's vision of creating beers that are meant to be enjoyed in the company of others, rather than analyzed, is a refreshing and innovative approach that is resonating with a growing number of drinkers.
