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.
After a month-long trip to Belgium in 2015, Paula Yunes sat on a flight from Brussels Airport to São Paulo and she cried. She had never considered living anywhere other than in her home in Brazil. But in the previous weeks, the culture, the people, and the beer scene had caused her to fall in love with Belgium. A move was on the cards. Her partner, Valéry De Breucker, whom she’d met in Brazil, was from Belgium. But she had worked so hard to build up her career in Brazil. What would she even do in Belgium?
In Brazil, Paula started out working a mundane, 9-5 marketing job until a former colleague from university invited her to work in his company selling Brazilian craft beers. She dove head first into the beer world, completing a beer sommelier course, attending beer festivals, and visiting breweries.
As part of this period of discovery, Paula filmed a short video for a Brazilian magazine about beer pairings for the Christmas holidays. A producer saw the video and contacted her with an opportunity to present her own reality TV show about craft beer. The 10-episode show, Cervejantes, focused on a different home brewer that Paula would work with during each episode. “I still dream about the TV show today,” says Paula. “It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It was my chance to share my passion for beer with the entire country of Brazil.”
Paula worked on a variety of projects for different beer businesses and eventually met Valéry De Breucker, who was originally from Brussels. They started homebrewing. The first beer they created together was The One, a very dry Saison of 6.5% ABV with a fruity, spicy character. After that initial trip back in 2015, it was decided that the couple would move to Belgium for good.
In Belgium, Paula and Valéry both worked in the beer industry; Paula for a small brewery close to Liège for one year as an intern brewer and Valéry for Fantôme, learning about production and distribution, and the business of beer. The first beer they brewed together when they moved to Belgium was The One, the Saison they had created together in Brazil. It was also the beer they served at their wedding when they were married in 2016.
Paula and Val became part of “J’irai brasser chez vous” (I’m going to brew at your place), a group that brewed beer at peoples houses to teach them about the process of brewing, tasting beers with people and having a good time. They did this on weekends to earn extra money, to learn, and also to meet new people in their new home.
In 2017, Paula and Valéry decided to quit their respective jobs and open their very own brewpub, Brasserie Atrium. The brewery is located in the village of Marche-en-Famenne, a municipality in the Belgian province of Luxembourg which although small in population, offers the opportunity to serve larger urban areas within a short distance such as Charleroi, Namur, and Liège.
“Atrium” is a Latin word meaning “entrance hall”, a place which gives access to other environments. Paula and Valéry’s intention was to create unconventional beers in a unique space where people could enjoy new sensory experiences.
Atrium’s beers have been recognised at international beer awards, particularly The One (6.5% ABV). It’s the beer they brewed first together in Brazil, the first beer they homebrewed after moving to Belgium, and the beer they served at their wedding. The One was named the World’s Best Saison at the World Beer Awards in 2019 and received the Gold Star Award from the European Beer Star Awards in the same year.
Although she now lives in Belgium, Brazil will always be a part of who Paula is and what Atrium does. She incorporates her Brazilian identity into Atrium’s offerings, serving Pão de queijo tapas at the brewpub and creating beers with Brazilian fruits sourced from her home country such as guava and passionfruit.
“At first, I couldn’t imagine leaving Brazil because I had worked so hard and built up a name for myself in the beer industry there,” says Paula. “But I’ve never been afraid to try new things. And this change led to the best few years of my life.”
At first, I couldn’t imagine leaving Brazil because I had worked so hard and built up a name for myself in the beer industry there. But I’ve never been afraid to try new things. And this change led to the best few years of my life.
Paula Yunes.
