Long awaited but postponed for obvious reasons over the last couple of years. But....finally here we are again. Eindhovens biggest beer festival was back with a vengeance and maybe bigger than ever. And the best part? It turned into a fantastic social hangout with people I hadn't seen in years, which was just the most fun.
Van Moll fest, I was really happy to see you back in business!
One of the most fun things I find from beerfests is the option to try out other stuff than you normally would do for a fair price. Van Moll is a big brewery from Eindhoven, the Netherlands and you would think that at a beer festival they would be promoting their own stuff mostly, because actually they really have a lot of different beers.
Nothing of that is true, there was a really big variety of different European brewers, and they all brought their local flavors. These were the participating brewers all present:
| International | Dutchies |
|---|---|
| Puhaste (EST) | Kaapse Brouwers |
| North Brew Co (UK) | Uiltje Brewing Company |
| Mad Scientist (HU) | Brouwerij Halve Tamme |
| Vocation (UK) | Brouwerij Moersleutel |
| Salt (UK) | De Kromme Haring |
| Adroit Theory (US) | Kompaan |
| La Calavera (ES) | Studio Oedipus |
| Verdant (UK) | Brouwerij KEES |
| L’ermitage (BE) | Jopen |
| Garage (ES) | Butcher’s Tears |
| Buxton (UK) | Frontaal |
| Freigeist (DE) | Eleven |
| Totenhopfen (LU) | Bronckhorster |
| Bevog (AT) | Brouwerij Bliksem |
| Arpus (LV) | Zuyd Craft |
| Bereta (RO) | 100 Watt |
| La Rulles (BE) | |
| De La Senne (BE) | |
| Cloudwater (UK) | |
| Omnipollo (SE) | |
| Sleeping Village Brewing (NO) |
Ofcourse you have some favorites in that gigantic range of beers. I really liked the 'Mosa' India Pale lager from the Zuyd brewery, and also the 'Jack' New England IPA were really the ones to buy later on in the store or online if we don't have them here locally.
Also the cool thing was thing time about the venue where the festival was held. There have also been editions where 'Van Moll Fest' has been held on a square in between the buildings of Strijp-s.
This edition (and previous one as well) was held by the iconic Eindhoven building called 'Evoluon'. This used to be an exposition place back in the days, but it has also been privately owned to have parties being held in there. Nowadays they are looking for what the new use case will be, because it really needs some restauration, especially from the outside.
Regardless, a building looking like a flying saucer with a gigantic garden behind it with a pond and fountain. That is just an awesome location!
As said before, it was a good hangout with a lot of people who I hand't expected there all meeting up and mingeling, it felt like the good old days.
Also the weather was with a half sun, half clouds typical Dutch weather and perfect for hanging outside. As how it should be, beer fests feel that they need to held outside.
Another winner in choice of beers (but this was the killer of all killers) was the 'I forgot my problems' 10% brainblaster from 'Cloudwater' breweries from the UK. Nice and hazy, a bit of the same on how the brain felt afterwards. Not one to take lightly I would say, a tasting glass of this one was enough!
I really hope that it won't take another mutiple years again until the next edition of 'Van Moll Fest', because I really enjoyed. But for me? One day seems enough of beer :)