Words and photos by Ashley Joanna
Edited by Breandán Kearney
Humans of Belgian Beer is a series of photographic portraits which celebrate a people and their culture.
In 2015, Antoine Malingret stood in the middle of his grandparents’ massive, brick farmhouse in the village of Boussu. It had been vacant for 15 years, a building owned by his family since 1873 and now under his charge. He was now responsible for it; for keeping this part of his family history alive. Antoine would build a new business here, he decided, to honour the legacy of his grandparents.
Antoine is the 3rd generation of farmers in his family. He grew up racing his siblings through fields of wheat, barley, corn, and oats. The crops his family cultivated often became so tall he couldn’t see above them. He grew up in Boussu down the street from his grandparents’ farmhouse. The farmhouse was the epicentre of village energy, with locals sitting outside drinking coffees or beers at all times of the day. His grandmother sold eggs and milk from the bar. For young Antoine, it was a place of pure joy. For adult Antoine, family pride dictated that this joy must one day return.
While helping his father with farming on the side, Antoine decided to take his own, slightly different path to repurposing the farmhouse. He studied bio-engineering with a specialisation in fermentation, eventually working with companies in the brewing industry to learn about the manufacture, design, and commission of brewing equipment. During this time, a plan began to formulate.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about my grandparent’s farmhouse,” says Antoine. “My idea was to make the building dance again. To make something new and keep the energy and spirit of my family alive.”
Antoine worked day and night to clean up the vacant property. He also began to brew his own beer in a corner of the farmhouse with equipment he pulled together from his farming network and brewing industry contacts. When Antoine was satisfied with the taste of the initial brews, he and his wife Catherine began hosting tastings every week at the farmhouse for around 20 people. The tastings became such a big hit in the region that Antoine decided to go one step further and commercialise his brewery.
The farmhouse of Antoine’s grandparents in Boussu is now the home of Brasserie du Borinage. Antoine converted the large room of the old farmhouse building behind the brewery tanks into a bar, made clothing apparel to sell, and turned the outdoor space into a hangout area. People could drink beer and listen to live music there, just as his grandparents had done so many years before. Brasserie du Borinage even hosted an event at the farmhouse—The Mullet Festival, during which 1,500 people attended to showcase their haircuts and have a good time.
“When you brew a beer, it’s just a beer,” says Antoine. “But you need to bring your personality and spirit into it. This is always our goal at Brasserie du Borinage. To provide people with a delicious beer, and personality alongside it.”
My idea was to make the building dance again. To make something new and keep the energy and spirit of my family alive.
Antoine Malingret
