InBev has given up moving Hoegaarden out of the city of the same name, the place that it originated.
As of June 1 all the Hoegaarden beer will be brewed there. Much different than in 2006, when InBev announced it would move production to Jupille.
Seems that didn’t work out so well. By 2007 production was a problem. Part of that was because of increased demand, but a union official claimed, “The beer they produce there often has to be thrown out because it is not at all fit for consumption. So a lot of the white beer coming from Jupille is being shipped to the Netherlands to be made into pig feed. It really is a crisis.”
In any event, InBev has revamped the Hoegaarden facility, boosting capacity to 1 million hectoliters. Hoegaarden won gold last week in the World Beer Cup.
I always enjoy Hoegaarden Wit. It’s a shame that, like Pilsner Urquell, its reputation has suffered on the grounds that “it’s not as good as it used to be”. If I just once brewed anything as tasty as the bog standard Hoegaarden served in my local, I’d be a happy man. Mmmm. Orange peel. Gargle.