Cantillon’s 2011 Zwanze with anticipated beer enthusiasts waiting for their taste

As the clouds rolled away and the sun began to shine on Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, California), one could tell it was a particularly busy Saturday at the brewery. September 17, 2011 may seem like any other day, but not to the Cantillon and craft beer enthusiasts gathered at Stone (as well as at 20 other locations around the world) to celebrate Zwanze Day. What is Zwanze Day, you might ask: it is a simultaneous tapping of Brasserie Cantillon’s 2011 Zwanze—an annual release beer that this year was released for on-site consumption only to battle online profiteering. Stone sold tickets prior to the event so those who wanted to enjoy the 2011 Zwanze would be able to in a fair, organized manner. The anticipation built as Cantillon fans began lining up along the stone pathway leading to the outdoor gardens of the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens.

When the clock struck noon, the line began to move and Dr. Bill Sysak, Stone’s Beverage Supervisor, furiously began pouring last year’s Zwanze for those in line. I began my day with the 2010 Zwanze: a white beer that was naturally inoculated due to the bacteriological environment of a lambic brewery. After finishing the 2010, I stood in line for the 2011 and upon receiving my glass I could already tell they were two completely different beers. The 2011 Zwanze was a ruby-red grapefruit color, slightly sweet with a wonderfully balanced tartness, and a bright and mildly funky nose.

As people began to finish their 4oz pours, the wait in line for the next taster seemed to grow longer and longer. Unfortunately Stone’s garden re-sodding could not have come at a worse time as the small picnic area grew more and more crowded. In the meantime, I decided to open my bottle of Founders Blushing Monk for a table of friends and soon after a friend graciously shared his bottle of Cantillon Cuvée des Champions—a superb gueuze.

Cantillon glass sold during Zwanze Day with Cuvée des Champions

Most of the guests left after finishing their Cantillon tasters, but a small group moved to the small pea gravel lounge just outside the main outdoor dining area for an impromptu bottle share. Some of the beers passed around included: Lost Abbey’s Red Poppy and Framboise de Amorosa (both aged in barrels for two years giving the beers completely different complexities than the original base beers), Cantillon’s Classic Gueuze (2002), Mikkeller’s Spontancranberry, Cigar City Brewing’s Imperial Milk Porter, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen’s Doesjel, special Cascade Brewing sours courtesy of Dr. Bill, as well as many, many others.

Although Stone’s Zwanze Day event was relatively short—scheduled pouring from 12pm – 2pm—those who attended were some of the few in the world who were able to enjoy an amazing and rare beer from one of the most highly regarded breweries in the world. It was an experience uniquely Cantillon.

A small group gathered in the grotto sharing special beers amongst each other

By Samantha Velarde