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 2019, Philippe De Cock and his flying partner, Geert Peirsman flew for 90 hours in a gas balloon from France to Bulgaria. It was the longest either of them had ever flown in a gas balloon, an epic flight they took as participants of the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett, the world’s oldest gas balloon race and the premier event of world balloon racing.
Philippe had won the Gordon Bennett cup twice before with flying partner Ronny Van Havere—in 1999 (starting in Albuquerque, USA) and in 2006 (starting in Waasmunster, Belgium)—but during this 2019 race with Geert Peirsman, he broke records: the 90 hour flight is the standing Belgian duration record in gas balloon racing.
It was another major achievement to add to being 4 times hot air balloon champion (the Belgian Ballon Trophy), 2 times gas balloon long distance world champion (Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett), and holder of the European distance record for flying 2,400km to Norway in 2004 during the Gordon Bennett race. Philippe has 36 years of ballooning experience of all types. When he flies today, his balloon carries the logo of his own brewery.
Philippe was born into his grandfather’s meat business. At 15 years old, he left school and began working with his family full time. But after 35 years, he needed a change. So he quit, sold his half of the business, and spent three months in The Democratic Republic of the Congo working for an orphanage. When he returned, he pledged to do something meaningful with his life.
Philippe’s two children, Charlotte and Joseph, expressed an interest in starting a new family business with their father. After a few start-up failures, a building near their home village went up for sale. The building was a ruin, but at one time, it functioned as a brewery, and the idea for Kerel Brewery was born.
The building needed a complete renovation and the De Cocks also needed to learn how to brew. Joseph took a course and practiced brewing on a homebrew kit in the garage for 14 months. They had no beers, no customers, and no sales. But they knew almost immediately that the beer industry suited them more than the meat industry.
“In the meat business, you can’t imagine other production people coming into your business,” says Philippe. “In the beer industry, other brewers are so kind and want to show you how they make the beer and they want to see how you make yours.”
Philippe combines his passion for ballooning of all types with his beer business. He uses his balloon to advertise the brewery. There’s a quote printed on the side of the balloon in the brewery’s familiar font and branding where one word is often crossed-out and replaced for fun and for emphasis: “I can see your life from here and it needs work beer.”
“Now that my ballooning friends know I own a brewery, I think they look forward to our hot air balloon competitions even more,” says Philippe. “They know I bring a few boxes of Kerel beers with me when we compete, and they somehow always manage to land their balloons close to mine. I find this very funny, and I am happy and grateful to share my family’s beer with my friends.”
Now that my ballooning friends know I own a brewery, I think they look forward to our hot air balloon competitions even more. They know I bring a few boxes of Kerel beers with me when we compete, and they somehow always manage to land their balloons close to mine.
Philippe De Cock
