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.
When she was growing up, Sofie Vanrafelghem’s parents enjoyed fine dining experiences at Michelin-star restaurants. Meals were almost always accompanied by exquisite wines. Her parents were wine enthusiasts and their circle of friends shared the same passion—beer was never once discussed.
As a teenager, Sofie was an active athlete, engaging in sports five times a week. She loved to write, but it was more likely that she would go on to become a lawyer, and just like her parents, Sofie would more than likely drink wine too.
But shortly before her 18th birthday, Sofie was diagnosed with bone cancer.
The sports stopped. Sofie underwent chemotherapy treatments in a seemingly never-ending stream of hospital appointments. She knew she’d have to battle the cancer for years. In her early 20s, she underwent hip replacement surgery. The doctors predicted she would never walk again.
But Sofie Vanrafelghem continued to fight. “I never gave up the battle,” she says. “My doctor always told me that I was stubborn as hell. But you know, I’ve come to embrace the pain I still feel in my leg. To me, it’s normal—like breathing air. It’s okay. It means I’ve survived.”
Sofie loved to write but she was insecure about her writing and never thought about it as a potential job. Her goal was to become a lawyer to work in women’s shelters, helping women who had suffered physical, psychological, and sexual abuse.
But when she finished her law degree—in-between the chemo treatments and the endless hospital appointments—she met Jo Röpcke, a renowned film journalist who hosted the movie review show Première between 1962 and 1991. It was a chance meeting, but Jo soon became Sofie’s writing mentor.
Sofie began writing a lot more during her rehabilitation, always taking advice from Jo. She began writing for travel magazines to gain experience. When she entered work in the Kinepolis writing competition, she placed first out of hundreds of entrants. For one year, she was the Kinepolis movie critic.
A Bachelor’s degree in Law preceded a Master’s in Communication. She was well on the path to becoming a writer. But in the meantime, a second passion had been forming. “The first time I tasted beer I was around 20 years old,” says Sofie. “I remember calling my dad… saying ‘Why didn’t you tell me?! Why didn’t you tell me? This is such a great drink!’ And ever since then, I was hooked.”
Sofie was determined to introduce people to beer. When she was studying for her Masters degree, she put together a beer festival at her university. She invited brewers to share their stories and experiences, and the event attracted teachers, students, families, and friends. It was a huge success and marked the beginning of a new path for Sofie.
“I started visiting breweries and listening to the stories of the brewers,” she says. “And then it hit me. It was not only the drink I loved. I thought that these stories are so beautiful, but they are unknown because so many people drink French wine in Belgium instead of beer—that’s such a pity when we have excellent beer right on our doorstep.”
Since 2008, Sofie has been actively writing about beer. She has written several books, contributed to various national newspapers and magazines, and assisted highly-regarded restaurants and pubs with their beer selections. She even consults with international hotels in destinations such as Dubai to help them with their beer lists. Today, she runs a website called Sofie’s World, where she shares her stories, event updates, and her knowledge and passion for beer. One of her aspirations is to inspire more women to join the brewing industry.
I never gave up the battle. My doctor always told me that I was stubborn as hell. But you know, I’ve come to embrace the pain I still feel in my leg. To me, it’s normal—like breathing air. It’s okay. It means I’ve survived.
Sofie Vanrafelghem
