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Rather focused on sweetness and slightly toasted malt.

Tasty with notes of caramel, gingerbread and liquorice that explode in the mouth.

Its high alcohol content makes it very sweet.

This beer must be enjoyed at a temperature above 7°C to be able to take full advantage of all its flavors.

Hopped abbey triple.

It is part of the classic triples with good headiness, it is balanced between cereal and hops.

Unique blend of lambics matured for one year. This creation is a tribute to the founder of Oud Beersel who founded the brewery 135 years ago in 1882.

La bière belge Vedett Extra Pilsner, brassée par le groupe Duvel-Moortgat, est une blonde de 5.5%. La brasserie, située en Belgique, est connue pour ses bières Vedett Extra White, Vedett IPA et Vedett Extra Blond. La Vedett Blonde est disponible en bouteille et en canette.

La Vedett Extra White est la bière des terrasses ensoleillées par excellence. Sa robe blond pâle opaque est typique des bières blanches de blé.

La Vedett Extra White offre également la touche habituelle de coriande et d'agrumes des bières blanches belges.
Une petite finale mielleuse vient offrir une dernière sensation en bouche qui vous donne envie d'en boire encore et encore.

La Vedett IPA est une bière blonde de style IPA très accessible, parfaite pour découvrir ce nouveau style de bière très populaire depuis quelques années.

L'amertume du supplément d'houblon est balancée par une douceur en bouche inhabituelle pour les bières IPA.

Tandis que les houblons utilisés apportent une fraicheur fruitée et florale au nez, une curieuse sensation de caramel apporte cette douceur caractéristique de la Vedett IPA.

Wheat and barley beer.

The Vicaris Triple/Gueuze is a blend of a triple beer from Dilewyns and Lambic Girardin.

La bière belge Victoria de la brasserie AB Inbev est une blonde à 8.5%. AB Inbev est une brasserie de renommée mondiale, basée en Belgique. Parmi les bières les plus connues de la brasserie, on retrouve la Stella Artois et la Leffe. Très récente, la bière Victoria est une tentative de concurrencer la Duvel qui est la numéro un incontestable des bières belges fortes dorées.

West coast IPA very fruity and spicy due to its hopping, it is slightly bitter on the finish.

It represents its style very well and is one of the best West Coast IPAs in Belgium.

English style IPA with three strong hops (Merkur, Nelson and Citra).

Ideal as an aperitif since the hops will whet your appetite.

The Viven Nada IPA is a well hopped non-alcoholic ipa.

Découvrez la bière belge Waterloo Double Dark de la brasserie John Martin. Fondée en 1909 à Genval, cette brasserie est aujourd'hui basée à Louvain-la-Neuve. Parmi les bières les plus connues, on retrouve la Waterloo Triple et la Gordon Finest. La Waterloo Double Dark est une bière noire avec un taux d'alcool de 8%.

Découvrez la bière belge Waterloo Red Cherry de la brasserie John Martin. Fondée en 1909 à Genval, cette brasserie est aujourd'hui basée à Louvain-la-Neuve. Parmi les bières les plus connues, on retrouve la Waterloo Triple et la Waterloo Récolte. La Waterloo Red Cherry est une bière fruitée avec un taux d'alcool de 8%. Le style de bière forte à la cerise est fort répandu avec la Kasteel Red et la Delirium Red.

A fruity, tangy, dry and bright red beer

Reddish beer with a creamy head.

Brettanomice yeast wild beer.

Omega Sour is aged in red wine barrels.

Aromas of caramel and chocolate with a creamy mousse and fruity undertones.

Bitter beer where part of the hops has been replaced by chicory root.

The XX Bitter is the first beer of the brewery De Ranke and was the second most bitter beer in Belgium when it was released just after the Orval.

A beer cannot get hoppier than this! The Ranke XX-bitter used to be the most bitter beer in Belgium and is the most bitter beer in the brewery. It might not be for all tastes, especially for novice beer drinkers, but once you develop your palate, you can’t get enough of it!

The beer has an orange, honey-coloured body. The XX-bitter has a slightly cloudy appearance, rich in carbonation and has a fine head. 

On the nose, you will naturally smell very hoppy aromas. The flowery hoppy aromas are strong and very dominant. 

The beer flavour follows the hoppy profile, and the hop flavours are very powerful. You can also note some flowery flavours of citrus fruits and grass followed by strong bitterness. Though the alcohol level is low, the flavours are very rich and long-lasting. The bitterness is well balanced. 

The story of XX-bitter beer

The XX-bitter was already brewed back in 1994 when a home brewer and the manager of a beer tasting club decided to test a batch that uses a lot of hops. They decided to bring the beer to a festival in Kortrijk in 1996. Bitter beers were not yet popular, and many other brewers did not have faith in their new product because it was too bitter. Luckily De Ranke brewers could prove everyone wrong. 

The XX Bitter is now considered a bitter beer trendsetter in Belgium. That is because when the beer came out, the IPA beers were not yet trendy in Belgium. Thus, the brewers did not even think about creating an IPA style beer. Some beer drinkers refer to it as a golden ale and others as India Pale Ale. The brewers themselves say that although the beer fits into the IPA category, they would call it a bitter pale ale because that’s the style they had in mind when they created the beer. 

The brewers are very strict with their brewing methods and do everything traditionally. They use whole hops in their beers, and they never filter or pasteurise their beers. The brewers use direct fire and add hot water to achieve target mashing temperatures. 

The hops used for brewing XX-bitter are two varieties of European hops. The Brewers Gold and Hallertau Mittelfrueh hop are both grown in Belgium. The former is used for bittering and the latter for aroma. Moreover, fresh hop flowers are used during the brewing process so they can develop their bittering potential. 

The brewers also used to use Rodenbach yeast until a big company bought it and did not allow working with small breweries. Now the beer recipe uses Fermentis dry yeast instead. Their brewing methods allow them also to create a very dry beer. 

The XX-bitter has made its name by being a trendsetter and one of the bitterest beers in Belgium. It is now extremely popular and is also the flagship beer of the brewery. The beer is not only appreciated in Belgium but also outside. For example, you can find XX-bitter also in the neighbouring countries, the USA and even Japan. 

Read on to learn more about the XX-bitter beer. 

Where does the XX-bitter beer name come from?

One of De Ranke's brewers liked the names of English beers that were called Bitter. Nevertheless, these beers often did not taste bitter. So the brewer decided to call their beer Bitter, which actually is a bitter beer. 

How bitter is the XX-bitter?

The beer reaches an IBU of 65. Back then, one of the bitterest beers was Orval, with an IBU of 45. Generally, IPA beers fall between IBU of 40-70. Thus, we can see that the XX-bitter stays in the higher bitterness range. 

How to serve XX-bitter beer?

The best way to serve this bitter delight is using a tulip-shaped beer glass. Also, the minimum serving temperature is 6 degrees celsius. 

What are other similar beers and alternatives to XX-bitter?

If you enjoyed XX-bitter, try also the Delta IPA by Brussels Beer Project, Brussels Calling by de la Senne brewery or Troubadour Magma by Musketeers brewery. Don’t forget to check out our full collection of IPA beers to find good hoppy tastes. 

Which foods go well with XX-bitter beer?

XX-bitter beer is good to pair with fish, meat dishes and mature cheeses. It is also a good companion during a barbecue. You can also balance the bitterness by enjoying sweet desserts next to the beer. 

What are some other beers by De Ranke brewery?

If you like De Ranke brewery style, try out their Guldenberg, Franc Belge, Amer-Amer and XXX-bitter beer. 

Thirsty for a nice bitter IPA? Then add XX-bitter to the cart! You may also find the beer in one of our Belgian beer boxes, or the beer may arrive in our monthly beer subscription boxes. 

Zinnebir is a perfectly balanced Pale Ale, with a golden color slightly tending to amber. It develops fruity and hoppy aromas reminiscent of dried apricot and orange marmalade. They are supported by malted notes very slight biscuity, as well as by a beautiful bitterness.

When you pour Zinnebir into your beer glass, on top of the beautiful golden and orange colour lies a velvety white foam. The word balance is the key for this beer. The body of the beer is perfect, not too full or light. There is an equilibrium between the hops and malt. You have the flavours from de la Sennes' own yeast that are balanced out with the maltiness. Everything in the beer works well together. The profile is spicy, zesty, herbal and floral. The German and Slovenian noble hops give it the needed bitterness. In the mouth, you may even notice a bit of pineapple and honey. 

It is a perfect thirst-quenching beer!
 

The story of Zinnebir

Get ready to discover the story of Zinnebir as it is unlike any beer that came out of thirst or experimentation. 

Zinnebir is brewed by Bernard Leboucq and Yvan De Baets, two Brussels-based brewers and founders of de la Senne brewery. One was a homebrewer and another a social worker. The brewers first had a microbrewery in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, which then became too small for them to truly express themselves. Thus, they moved to Brussels and opened a brewery in 2010 in a converted bread factory. Both brewers had already long thought about creating an iconic beer for Brussels city. 

After planning, the brewers agreed to brew a beer for the annual Zinneke parade in 2002. The parade is a celebration of Brussels’ cosmopolitan spirit. This is how Zinnebir was born. The two beer brewers did not have their brewery back then, so the beer was brewed in a basement.

The beer name came after the Zinneke parade and also the Senne river that flows through Brussels. The Dutch part calls the river la Zenne but also Zenneke, which means little Zenne. Sometimes even the people of Brussels are called Zinnekes. 

The brewers worked on perfecting the beer throughout the years to arrive at the flawless product that it is now. They changed the raw ingredients to achieve the perfect balance between hop, malt, spiciness and fruitiness. The brewers intended to make a beer that can be drunk a lot. Thus, the alcohol content is 5.8%. And of course, the beer is brewed in an artisanal way without any additives. 

We can now say that de la Senne brewery has accomplished its mission and Zinnebir is a beer of Brussels and the people of Brussels. The beer flavour reflects the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Brussels, but like all the ingredients, flavours and tastes of the Zinnebir, the different cultures and people of Brussels live together in a perfect balance. 

Not only has Zinnebir made its name as the beer of Brussels, but the beer and the brewery also acted as a role models for other brewers. The brewery had a huge influence on the craft beer movement in the city and many people followed their footsteps, which brought Brussels other amazing craft beer breweries like the Brussels Beer Project, No Science, Beerstorming and many others. 

Lastly, the beer is the flagship beer of the brewery and their best seller. The locals can also ask for Zinnebir in any beer bar they visit. We can confirm the Zinnebir popularity, as some of our clients even order a whole beer box of Zinnebir regularly. No one can get enough of that beer! 

What else is there to know about Zinnebir?

• Where is Zinnebir beer brewed? 

Though the brewing process started in a basement, Zinnebir has now moved to de la Senne brewery, which is located in Brussels near the cultural space Tour & Taxis. 

• What does the Zinnebir beer label mean?

The Zinnebir label illustrates the Brussels city skyline, the buildings and the Senne river flowing through the city with a big bright sun behind it all. The label uses warm and happy colours such as yellow and green. It gives you a feeling like Brussels is a calm, orderly city, though there can be some crazy traffic and full of vibrant events. Despite the messiness, it all still functions in harmony. 
 

• How to serve Zinnebir and which beer glass to use?

Zinnebir is best served in a tulip beer glass, which helps to release the exciting aromas that the beer has. The minimum serving temperature is 5 degrees celsius. 

• What are the ingredients of Zinnebir?

The Zinnebir ingredients are water, hops, yeast, barley malt, and fermentable sugar.

• What food goes well with Zinnebir?

Zinnebir beer goes very well with cheese platters or cheesy dishes. It is especially good with creamy cheeses like cottage cheese or goat cheese. The bitterness of the beer and the creaminess of the cheese make a perfect match. Zinnebir also goes well with seafood. 

• What are the other beers by de la Senne brewery?

Some people argue that Zinnebir is not even the best beer in the brewery and favour the younger sister, Taras Boulba. The beer has a similar fruity and spicy taste, but more bitterness and it is an easy to drink beer with lower alcohol content. In the end, it is a question of personal taste. After all, without Zinnebir, there would not be a Taras Boulba. The brewers needed a change from Zinnebir and something lighter to drink.  

Besides Taras Boulba, the brewery also has other famous beers like the Jambe de Bois, Bruxellensis, Stouterik and Saison du Meyboom. 

Thirsty for Zinnebir? Then don’t hesitate and add the beer to the cart. Or even get a full beer box like some of our clients do! You may also find Zinnebir in our beer subscription boxes and discover it next to many other delicious beers.