Zwanze Day is from the legendary Brasserie Cantillon Brussels, Belgium. The term “Zwanze” itself is derived from a Brussels dialect, roughly translating to “humor” or “joke.” In 2008, Cantillon decided to commemorate its 25th anniversary by hosting a special event where they would release a unique, experimental beer exclusively brewed for the occasion. This inaugural Zwanze beer was a blend of lambics aged in different barrels with rhubarb, and it was served on draft at select locations worldwide simultaneously. The event was such a success that it became an annual tradition, with Cantillon continuing to create one-of-a-kind Zwanze beers each year. Zwanze Day has since grown into a global celebration of lambic beer culture, eagerly anticipated by beer enthusiasts around the world, who gather at participating bars and breweries to enjoy these limited-edition brews and celebrate the artistry of Cantillon and the wider lambic brewing community.
For 2024, two of our favorite local spots, Bottlecraft Little Italy in downtown San Diego and Silver Stamp, in downtown Las Vegas have been honored with being selected as hosts among other legendary locations worldwide.
A (potentially inaccurate) translation of the announcement from regarding 2024’s Zwanze:
Just over a year ago we were in Brittany to sink several dozens of bottles of Gueuze in the sea with Sylvain, an abalone grower from Finistère. These bottles fermented at a depth of ten meters in the company of these charming mollusks. They feed on different types of seaweed grown by Sylvain. At that time we had tasted the same sea animals in tartare and came up with the idea to try them macerated in Lambic to create a link between the brewery and Sylvain’s company. After several tests it turned out that sea lettuce gave the best result.
The taste of Zwanze 2024 differs from the fruity, winey or floral flavors traditionally found in our products. Zwanze 2024 has an exotic fruit aroma, an iodized, slightly salty taste reminiscent of oysters. In short, a beer very different than what we are used to at Cantillon – a real Zwanze!
Here is the full list of all chosen locations:
Australia
• Wildflower Brewing and Blending – Sydney
• Belgian Beer Café – Westende – Perth
Austria
• Tribaun – Innsbruck
• Ammutson – Vienna
Belgium
• Moeder Lambic Fontainas – Brussels
• Moeder Lambic Saint-Gilles – Brussels
• Le Comptoir Mi-Orge Mi-Houblon – Arlon
• De Gebrande Winning – Sint-Truiden
• Café Pardaf – Antwerpen
• ‘t Brugs Beertje – Brugge
Canada
• Dieu du Ciel – Montréal, QC
• Birreria Volo – Toronto, ON
• Île Sauvage Brewing Co. – Victoria, BC
China
• Beer&Barrel谷木 – Shanghai
South Korea
• Coolship Korea – Seoul
Denmark
• Himmeriget – Copenhagen
France
• La Fine Mousse – Paris
• La Capsule – Lille
• Malt’In Pot – Viry
• Le Bièrographe – Toulouse
• Le Sur Mesure – Nantes
• Orgao Beer House – Lyon
Germany
• Café Herman – Berlin
• Mon Petit Café – Stuttgart
Great Britain
• six°north, The Marine Hotel – Stonehaven
• Moor Beer – Bristol
• That Beer Place – Chester
• Belgium and Blues – Southampton
• Hanging Bat – Edinburgh
• Beermerchants Tap – London
• Parish – Huddersfield
• The Free Trade Inn – Newcastle
Greece
• The Hoppy Pub – Thessaloniki
Italy
• Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà – Roma
• Abbazia di Sherwood – Caprino Bergamasco
• LambicZoon – Milano
• The Drunken Duck – Quinto Vicentino
• Bluebeat – Lecce
• Birre & Mondo Crudele – Crema
• Storie di Pinte – San Lazzaro
• Mosaik Beer House – Catania
• Diorama – Firenze
Japan
• Cafe Lembeek – Nagoya
• Champ de Soleil – Tokyo
• Craft Beer Base Mother Tree – Osaka
New Zealand
• Garage Project – Wellington
Poland
• Biala Malpa – Katowice
• Szynkarnia – Wroclaw
Portugal
• Catraio – Porto
Spain
• Masia Agullons – Sant Joan de Mediona
• Chinaski Lavapiés – Madrid
• Homo Sibaris – Barcelona
• Cierzo – Zaragoza
• Desy, Donostia-San Sebastián
Sweden
• Zum Franziskaner – Stockholm
Switzerland
• Bière Café Au Trappiste – Bern
United States
• Armsby Abbey — Worcester, MA
• Beer Study — Durham, NC
• Beer Temple — Chicago, IL
• Bottlecraft Little Italy — San Diego, CA
• Brick Store — Atlanta, GA
• Craft Wine & Beer — Reno, NV
• Crooked Stave — Denver, CO
• De Garde Brewing — Tillamook, OR
• DeCiccio’s — Somers, NY
• Delaware Supply — Albany, NY
• Great Northern Bottle Shop — Bellingham, WA
• Holy Grale — Louisville, KY
• Lupulo — Santa Cruz, CA
• Monk’s Café — Philadelphia, PA
• Novare Res Bier Café — Portland, ME
• Pour Company — Moscow, ID
• Redlight — Orlando, FL
• Russian River Brewing — Santa Rosa, CA
• Sante Adairius Portal — Oakland, CA
• Schera’s — Elkader, IA
• Side Project Brewing Cellar — Maplewood, MO
• Silver Stamp — Las Vegas, NV
• Spuyten Duyvil — Brooklyn, NY
• The Sovereign — Washington D.C.
• The Veil Brewing Co. — Richmond, VA
• The Whale — Greenville, SC
• Village Beer — Honolulu, HI
• Yazoo — Madison, TN
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