__NOTOC__ right|330px '''The High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers''' (Dutch: ''Hoge Raad voor Ambachtelijke Lambiekbieren'', '''HORAL''') is a non-profit organisation that brings together the gueuze brewers and blenders of the Pajottenland and Zenne Valley in Belgium.<ref name=horal>[https://www.horal.be/en/welcome Horal.be. ''The High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers.'']</ref><ref>[http://en.delambiek.be/product/1128/horal Bezoek Bezoekerscentrum De Lambiek. ''HORAL.'']</ref>
==Goals== The stated goals of HORAL are: * To promote artisanal lambic beers and their derivates, with attention to the complete process from brewing process till serving. * To report irregularities with regard to artisanal lambic beers and their derivates. * To take the necessary steps to protect artisanal lambic beers and their derivates.<ref name=horal />
==History== In January 1997, at the invitation of 3 Fonteinen's Armand Debelder, HORAL's founder members met in Beersel. HORAL was formally established with its original members: 3 Fonteinen, Boon, De Cam, De Troch, Lindemans, and Timmermans.<ref>[https://www.lambic.info/HORAL Lambic.info. ''HORAL.'']</ref> thumb|right|220px|Horal's ''Toer de Geuze'' 2007 The first ''Toer de Geuze'' was organised on October 19 1997, when HORAL's member producers decided to open their doors to the public. Since then the open brewery day has become a biennial event. Over the past two decades, the ''Toer de Geuze'' has effectively become the largest beer event of Flemish Brabant.<ref name=guild>[https://www.beerguild.co.uk/news/20-years-toer-de-geuze/ British Guild of Beer Writers. ''20 YEARS OF TOER DE GEUZE.'']</ref><ref name=hln>[https://www.hln.be/in-de-buurt/beersel/lambiekbrouwers-laten-eerste-fles-megablend-2019-knallen-twaalfde-editie-van-toer-de-geuze-vindt-plaats-op-4-en-5-mei~a3d35a9e/ Het Laatste Nieuws. ''Lambic brewers launch the first bottle of Megablend 2019: The twelfth edition of Toer de Geuze takes place on 4 and 5 May.''] (in Dutch)</ref> HORAL successfully campaigned for the creation of a European Union "traditional specialities guaranteed" (TSG) designation for the names "lambic" and "gueuze".<ref>[https://www.goodbeerhunting.com/sightlines/2018/7/5/sour-times-ahead-ab-inbev-revives-belle-vue-selection-lambic Goodbeerhunting.com. ''Sour Times Ahead? — AB InBev Revives Belle Vue Selection Lambic.'']</ref><ref>[https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/list.html;jsessionid=pL0hLqqLXhNmFQyFl1b24mY3t9dJQPflg3xbL2YphGT4k6zdWn34!-370879141?& European Commission. ''Database of Origin and Registration.'']</ref> This ensures that only products genuinely originating in the region are allowed to be identified as such in commerce.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44556.pdf|title=Geographical Indications (GIs) in U.S. Food and Agricultural Trade|last=Johnson|first=Renée|date=|website=Congressional Research Service|access-date=2019-11-06}}</ref> In 2016 HORAL met with representatives of Jester King Brewery to discuss a disagreement over the Americans' use of the term ''Méthode Gueuze.'' It was agreed that the Texan brewers would in future use the designation ''Méthode Traditionnelle'' as a style name.<ref>[https://www.foodandwine.com/articles/belgian-brewers-object-methode-gueuze-name-american-beers Food & Wine. ''Belgian Brewers Object to 'Methode Gueuze' Name on American Beers.'']</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/26/dining/drinks/american-lambic-beers.html The New York Times. ''American Beers With a Pungent Whiff of Place.'']</ref> thumb|right|150px|Horal's Oude Geuze Megablend HORAL's Megablend Oude Gueuze was first brought to the market in 2009. It is a blend of old and young lambics from HORAL's members. A gueuze enthusiast from Great Britain paid 300 EUR for the first bottle in 2015.<ref name=horal /><ref name=guild />
In 2018 lambic producers Girardin and 3 Fonteinen left HORAL.<ref>[https://www.goodbeerhunting.com/sightlines/2018/11/25/two-members-opt-to-leave-lambic-focused-trade-group Goodbeerhunting.com. ''3 Fonteinen and Girardin Part Ways With Lambic-Focused Trade Group, HORAL.'']</ref> Werner Van Obberghen of 3 Fonteinen said: "We decided to leave HORAL because we could no longer agree with its current values.<ref name=hln />
Several mostly newly founded breweries joined HORAL in the years after: Lambiek Fabriek (Sint-Pieters-Leeuw) in 2020, brewery Den Herberg (Buizingen) in 2022<ref>[https://beer.be/actualites/la-brasserie-den-herberg-devient-membre-de-horal/ Beer.be. ''THE DEN HERBERG BREWERY BECOMES A MEMBER OF HORAL,'']</ref>, Eylenbosch (Zellik) in 2023, Kestemont (Sint-Gertrudis-Pede) in 2024 and Sako Brewery (Gooik) in 2026.<ref>[https://www.beerguild.co.uk/news/sako-joins-horal-as-its-14th-member Sako joins HORAL as its 14th member], 21 January 2026 (British Guild of Beer Writers)</ref>
== Member producers == {{Div col|colwidth=30em}} * Boon: Fonteinstraat 65, 1502 Lembeek * De Cam: Dorpstraat 67A, 1755 Gooik * Den Herberg: Octave de Kerchove d'Exaerdestraat 16, 1501 Buizingen * De Troch: Langestraat 20, 1741 Wambeek * Eylenbosch: Isidoor Crokaertstraat 167, 1731 Zellik * Hanssens Artisanaal: Vroenenbosstraat 15/1, 1653 Dworp * Kestemont: Isabellastraat 16, 1703 Sint-Gertrudis-Pede * Lambiek Fabriek: Eugene Ghijsstraat 71, 1600 Sint-Pieters-Leeuw * Lindemans: Lenniksebaan 1479, 1602 Vlezenbeek * Mort Subite: Lierput 1, 1730 Asse * Oud Beersel: Laarheidestraat 230, 1650 Beersel * Sako Brewery: Koekoekstraat 33, 1755 Gooik * Tilquin: Chaussée Maïeur Habils 110, 1430 Bierk (Rebecq) * Timmermans: Kerkstraat 11, 1701 Itterbeek {{div col end}}
==Gallery of HORAL members in Brabant== <gallery> File:BoonBrewery.jpg|{{center|Brouwerij Boon<br>Lembeek}} File:Decam 03.jpg|{{center|Geuzestekerij De Cam<br>Gooik}} File:Timmermans 25.jpg|{{center|Brouwerij Timmermans<br>Itterbeek}} File:Brouwerij Lindemans 4-05-2006 12-11-37.jpg|{{center|Brouwerij Lindemans<br>Vlezenbeek}} File:Oud beersel.jpg|{{center|Brouwerij Oud Beersel<br>Beersel}} File:Cloth-in-bunghole.jpg|{{center|Hanssens Artisanaal<br>Dworp}} File:Gueuzerie Tilquin Visit 2014.jpg|{{center|Gueuzerie Tilquin<br>Bierghes}} File:Asse Lierput 1, Ganzenbos 2 - 19391 - onroerenderfgoed.jpg|{{center|Brouwerij Mort Subite<br>Asse}} </gallery>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/art-culture/55366/lambic-craft-beer-in-honour-at-the-12th-geuze-toer-4-to-5-may/ The Brussels Times. ''Lambic craft beer honoured at the 12th "Geuze Toer."''] * [https://methodetraditionnelle.org/ Méthode Traditionelle. ''On Méthode Gueuze, The Disagreement with HORAL, and A New Way Forward.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203090713/https://methodetraditionnelle.org/ |date=2019-12-03 }}
{{Lambic|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:High Council For Artisanal Lambik Style Beers}} Category:Beer organizations Category:Alcohol in Belgium Category:Beer in Belgium