Catalogue no. BBG170

Oud Zottegems Bier

Brewery: Brouwerij Crombé
Beer style: Belgian Blond
Glass style: Pilsner
Place: Zottegem (Flanders)

Curator’s Notes

I found this Oud Zottegems Bier glass at the Marolles flea market in Brussels for €1.50. The glass itself is simple: straight-sided, gently tapering, with a substantial base, a gold rim and the beer name picked out in white Gothic lettering.

Oud Zottegems Bier was one of the best-known beers of Brouwerij Crombé in Zottegem. Historical labels describe it simply as a speciality beer of around 6.5% ABV rather than assigning it to a modern beer style. Later descriptions vary between blond, gold, amber and even brown, suggesting either changes in the beer over time or the difficulty of fitting older Belgian beers neatly into modern categories.

For the Museum, the beer is classified as Belgian Blond as the closest available fit, rather than as a definitive historical description. When brewing ceased on Crombé’s historic Zottegem equipment, production of Oud Zottegems Bier moved to Brouwerij Strubbe in Ichtegem, while the Crombé name and beer range continued

The restrained design gives little away about the complicated history behind the beer. Like several other apparently ordinary glasses in the collection, its interest lies less in the object itself than in the brewing story it opens up.

Oud Zottegems Bier

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Oud Zottegems Bier