Today was spent with Lionel and Bertrand from Silly Brewery. This brewery was started as a farm that began brewing beer in the winter of 1850 with a Saison that farm workers drank during the harvest. When they started making beers in 1850, the town of Silly had a population of 1,500 and 7 breweries. After WW2 there were only two breweries left, and when the other brewery shut down in 1950 the name of the brewery changed from its original name of 'Bieres Meynsbrughen' to 'Brasserie de Silly'. This is still a family run company; Lionel is the 6th generation to run it. Meynsbrughen is the last name of Lionel's grandmother, and the name was shortened by deleting the 'e' in Mynsbrughen, because they were taxed for each letter they had on a sign.  

After touring the facility we were brought in to a barrel aging room to sample the next batch of scotch ale called Scotch Silly. This new batch will be much different than previous releases because the brewers purchased used port barrels for the aging process. The sweetness of the port was nicely present in this great scotch ale. It is a favorite beer to pair with steaks, chocolates and cigars.

We were thrilled to learn the history behind this beer. A British solider asked them to brew a beer that was like what he had back home—he even provided the brewery with the ingredients. The beer was—and still is—great, and the solider who helped brew the beer stayed in Silly after the war ended. His family is still lives there.

Next we got to sample the Silly Sour. This was a refreshing sour that is very unique. It has a light and lively taste that any sour fan will enjoy. After this we got a special treat:  We were all able to sample the pure sour brew used in the blend. It was this overwhelming sour that was strangely enjoyable; it was very warmly receive by our group. We also got to sample the next batch of Barrel Aged Scotch Silly direct from the barrel. This beer should be ready to bottle in another 3 months, and we’ll try hard to get as much as possible as they only have 24 barrels aging.

The rest of our afternoon was filled with lunch, playing old pub games and getting to know the family behind this beer. We even met the 7th generation of this family—Lionel's 2 and 4 year old sons were having fun helping their father pour our pints. Dinner was fantastic and paired with their abbey golden ale.

This is a small brewery that is staying true to its core belief in quality, and they only expand when they are confident that it will not affect their quality. There are only 22 employees, and their passion for beer is contagious.

Beer Consultant Evan Kaye and Chris Brower