Catalogue no. BBG087
Glasses
Exhibit information
Glass style Goblet A stemmed glass with a broad bowl, traditionally associated with stronger Belgian beers, particularly Trappist and abbey ales.
Read in Explainer
Explainers
Capacity 33cl
Manufactured 2021 Curator’s Notes An elegant, modern stemmed goblet whose restrained shape leaves almost all the storytelling to its striking black decoration. The Yellow Flo name is arranged as a piece of graphic design rather than a conventional beer logo, accompanied by the name of Les Brasseries de Flobecq.
The decoration initially looks like bold, slightly abstract typography, but closer inspection reveals a clever piece of cycling imagery. The oversized O of Flo becomes the front wheel of a racing bicycle, while the small toothed graphic above it resembles a chainring. The bicycle is effectively hidden within the lettering.
The joke becomes clear once the beer's story is known. Yellow Flo is a 6% blond created in 2019 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Eddy Merckx's first Tour de France victory. It was served at the Brussels Grand Départ of the Tour that year, its name, colour and cycling imagery all celebrating Merckx and the yellow jersey.
I paid €0.50 for the glass at a brocante. Its companion in the collection, Red Flo (BBG094), uses precisely the same glass but turns to another great figure from Belgian sporting history.
