Bruz among leaders in blending historic styles with new creativity

By Jay McKinney

Wedged between Germany, France and the Netherlands, Belgium has a brewing history dating back hundreds of years to when beer was brewed out of necessity because fouled water was too dangerous to drink. While water is safe to drink these days, a true beer lover will probably still choose a delicious Belgian Tripel over a glass of water.

With diverse styles and unique brewing methods, Belgium has solidified its legacy and continues to influence brewing worldwide, including in Colorado. One Colorado brewery that’s all in for Belgian-style beers in Colorado is Bruz Beers, founded by Charlie Gottenkieny and Ryan Evans in 2016.

Charlie Gottenkieny at the Bruz Beers Midtown location / Photo by Jay McKinney

“At different times, Ryan and I had both gone to Belgium and loved the beer from the minute we tasted it, especially Tripel Karmeliet, which was both of our favorites,” Gottenkieny says. “I came back and couldn’t find Belgian beers in America, so I started homebrewing.”

He started homebrewing in 1988 and mastered the craft, winning competitions and eventually teaching a class titled “World of Belgian Beers” at Colorado Free University and Front Range Community College. Evans attended a class and hit it off with Gottenkieny.

Evans tasted some of Gottenkieny’s Belgian-style beers and soon after, they were crafting a business plan for a brewery. They secured a location in the Midtown neighborhood of north Denver, purchased an old system from Black Shirt Brewing Co. and launched the business.

Since then, the brewery has added a second taproom on East Colfax Avenue. They try to source ingredients locally as much as possible because, as Gottenkieny says, “That’s what the Belgians would do.” For example, the Diablo Colorado is a golden strong ale made with grain from Loveland, hops from Billy Goat Hop Farm in Montrose, locally propagated yeast and Colorado water.

“Belgian beer is a small slice of the overall market and a niche,” Gottenkieny says. “But they’re higher quality beers for the most part. When the monks brew them, they look at it as a tribute to God, sparing no expense or effort making the best beer they can possibly make, and we’ve kind of adopted that philosophy.”

Gottenkieny and Evans aren’t the only brewers making Belgian-style beers in Colorado. Gottenkieny lists Barquentine Brewing Co., Cellar West Artisan Ales, Avery Brewing Co., Primitive Beer, New Belgium, TRVE Brewing Co. and River North Brewery as a few other Colorado breweries that serve great Belgian beers. Matt Hess, founder of River North Brewery, acknowledges the Belgian inspiration in his beer.

“Belgian beer is the reason I fell in love with drinking, savoring, and brewing beer,” he said. “The beer styles open up a world of flavors that can be found in no other brewing tradition, and, I would argue, are unparalleled in their breadth, complexity, and downright deliciousness.”

Monk influence

Some of the original brewers in Belgium were monks. Living together in monasteries, monks began brewing in the Middle Ages to provide a safe form of hydration for the community, with different strengths given to the separate social classes. It may seem as if the entire civilization was drunk back then, but most of the beer contained more sugar and less alcohol than present day beers.

Over time, brewing expanded outside of monasteries and continued to evolve, with various styles developing in different regions. Despite the wide variety of flavors and brewing methods, there are some common attributes that set them apart from other beers around the world and make them unique.

Ryan Evans enjoys a Belgian beer / Photo by Christopher Austin

Yeast vs. hops

First and foremost are the yeasts. Today hundreds of yeast strains are available to brewers, and Belgian strains tend to contain more esters and phenols. Estery yeasts provide fruity flavors such as banana or apricot, and phenolic strains bring spice flavors such as clove or pepper.

While an IPA may be brewed with neutral yeasts because the brewer wants the flavor to primarily come from the hops, Belgian brewers choose yeasts that contribute to the flavor. Another common quality of modern Belgian beers is that they tend to be dry and highly attenuated, which is caused by the yeasts eating up a larger quantity of the fermentable sugar.

Some of the most famous Belgian styles include Witbier, Saison and Lambic. Monastery beers like Dubbel and Tripel have evolved from their early counterparts, and Belgium has strict laws governing their classification. A modern-day Tripel that’s labeled as Trappist must be brewed under direct supervision of monks at a brewery on monastery property. The same beer brewed outside of a monastery would be labeled as an Abbey Tripel.

Even though each style has particular characteristics and individual origin stories, Belgian brewing is generally viewed as an artisanal craft, according to Gottenkieny. Rather than strictly conforming to pre-existing styles, brewers are seen as artists with freedom to be creative. In addition to selecting distinctive yeasts, Belgian brewers determine flavor profiles by adding fruits and spices or various grains, such as oats and wheat. Fermentation techniques also might be tweaked.

Beer is an essential component of Belgian culture, and is taken very seriously. Every style of beer has a distinct glass. There are hundreds of different glass shapes, and Belgian bartenders are adamant about serving beer in the correct glass.

In the kitchen

During his visits to Belgium, Gottenkieny also fell in love with the cuisine. In the back of the house, Belgian chefs frequently use beer in their recipes and develop dishes with beer pairings in mind. Belgian cuisine is varied and influenced by the surrounding countries. Fine dining in Belgium has elements of fancy French cooking, but the average food in the country can be described as comfort food and is influenced heavily by the Dutch.

One classic dish is Carbonnade à la Flamande, a Belgian beef stew with the primary ingredients of beef, onions, and a dark Belgian ale. Another extremely common food found in Belgium is frites. Despite being commonly known as “French” fries, the Belgians insist they were the original creators of the side, and they are commonly served with meals.

Outside of the country, it’s not hard to pair a Belgian beer with just about anything, according to Gottenkieny. A lighter beer like Witbier is excellent with sushi or other light seafood dishes. Belgian Strong Golden Ales pair nicely with a wide range of foods including poultry, salmon or spicy foods. A Belgian Abbey Tripel pairs well with roasted pork, rich seafood and creamy desserts like crème brûlée. Darker beers such as a Belgian Abbey Dubbel go great with hearty foods like roasted meats, and Belgian beers of all varieties can be paired to an assortment of cheeses.

This story is in our January-February print issue. Click here to read the full magazine.

Jay McKinney grew up in Sedalia and graduated from the Metropolitan State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in communications. During his free time, he enjoys playing golf, shooting pool and hiking throughout Colorado and neighboring Utah.