{"product_id":"masterclass-night-at-the-bruine-kroeg-a-belgian-beer-cafe-experience-with-joke-van-loon","title":"MASTERCLASS: Discovering Belgian Beers – The 'Bruine Kroeg' Experience with Joke Van Loon","description":"\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eMasterclasses offer in-depth explorations of food and drink topics, presented by experts and accompanied by demonstrations and tastings.\u003c!-- notionvc: 21f4bf59-4231-474b-b658-28d3a41a37fc --\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBelgium is justly famous as the home of some of the best beers in the world. But the beers themselves are woven into the living culture of the \u003cem\u003ebruine kroeg\u003c\/em\u003e, literally “brown café”, the quintessential Belgian neighbourhood pub. Warm, cozy and a little worn-in, with dark wood, well-loved tables and a long history of regulars, it is a place where people come to meet friends, chat with neighbours, play a game and enjoy a beer without being in a hurry. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAt the heart of this culture is \u003cem\u003egezelligheid\u003c\/em\u003e, a uniquely Dutch and Belgian idea of warmth, conviviality and enjoying time together. It is as much about the appreciation of wonderful beers as it is about the experience of sharing them. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eJoin us for an evening inspired by the traditional Belgian \u003cem\u003ebruine kroeg\u003c\/em\u003e, where beer, food, conversation, games and \u003cem\u003egezelligheid \u003c\/em\u003eall come together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor this introduction to Belgian beers and beer culture, we’ll strive to recreate that experience at The Dep. We’ll taste a selection of classic Belgian café beers, from a classic \u003cem\u003epintje \u003c\/em\u003eand refreshing \u003cem\u003ewitbier, \u003c\/em\u003eto rich dark ales and strong Belgian classics. We’ll discover why Belgian beers come in such distinctive glasses and how the right glass, serving ritual and setting are all part of the experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAmongst the tastings we’ll enjoy traditional Belgian café bites, like nuts, charcuterie and grilled cheese, and get to know some classic Belgian pub games with cards, dice and some trivia to keep the evening a bit educational. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis evening is about discovering a different side of Belgian beer culture: not the monks, breweries and brewing traditions of our previous tasting, but the cafés, rituals, food, games and \u003cem\u003egezelligheid \u003c\/em\u003ethat have made beer such an important part of everyday social life in Belgium.\u003cbr\u003e----\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJoke Van Loon\u003c\/strong\u003e is a Belgian beer enthusiast with a degree in clinical psychology who had a practice in Antwerp for a decade. Her passion for all things brewing led her to becoming a certified Zythologist (aka beer sommelier) at the PIVA culinary school in Antwerp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe moved to Toronto in 2025 and devoted herself fully to her studies in beer, creating Tasting Talks - a project that melds her fascination with the topic with her love for connecting people. Making beer culture fun, approachable and engaging, Joke aims to inspire creative tasting and exploring outside of one's comfort zone. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tasting_talks\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e@tasting_talks\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'The world of beer is so much bigger than most people imagine, and I love creating welcoming spaces where they can learn, explore, discover new flavours, and connect with others over great beer.'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Depanneur","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50496810975480,"sku":null,"price":79.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0732\/8101\/1960\/files\/unnamed.webp?v=1789250026","url":"https:\/\/thedepanneur.ca\/products\/masterclass-night-at-the-bruine-kroeg-a-belgian-beer-cafe-experience-with-joke-van-loon","provider":"The Depanneur","version":"1.0","type":"link"}