Rodenbach is a Belgian brewery located in the town of Roeselare, West Flanders, famed for its sour red ales. In the mid-18th century, Ferdinand Rodenbach migrated to Flanders from the German Rhineland. His descendants immersed themselves in local commerce, politics, and culture, and their brewing interests began when Pedro Rodenbach secured a partnership in a Roeselare brewery in 1821, becoming owner in 1836. However, it was Pedro’s grandson, Eugene Rodenbach, who set the tone for the business’s development when he traveled to England and studied porter-making, learning more about acidification, wood aging, and blending.
The Rodenbach cellar in the Belgian town of Roeselar contains nearly 300 giant oak vats known as “foeders.” photograph by denton tillman
Today Rodenbach is part of the Palm Breweries group, whose main production center is at Steenhuffel, Belgium.
Rodenbach beers are brewed from a blend of pale ale and colored malts, with pelletized hops, a year or two old, from Poperinge used in the copper. Top fermentation in cylindro-conical vessels with the Rodenbach mixed yeast culture leads to 4 weeks’ lagering in horizontal tanks. The beer is then transferred to the oak vats, some of which date back more than 150 years, where it is aged for up to 2 years at 59°F (15°C). Microorganisms in the wood sour the beer and create a complex array of fruity esters.
There are two main products from Rodenbach: Rodenbach Classic is a 5% ABV blend of young (un-soured) beer with aged beer, at a ratio of 1:3 [ratio should be 3:1 in favor of young beer]. The 6% Grand Cru is mostly aged beer, with a little young beer added, then slightly sweetened with sugar.