Protect
898
edits
Changes
m
→History
De Cam Geuzestekerij is a relative newcomer to the lambic blending scene. In June of 1997, De Cam opened in Gooik, becoming the first new traditional lambic blender to open in Belgium in nearly forty years. <ref name=WildBrews>Jeff Sparrow, [[Books#Wild Brews: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition|Wild Brews: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition]], 2005</ref> The brewery was founded by Willem van Herreweghen, who at the time was a production manager at Palm Breweries, along with support from Armand Debelder, Frank Boon, and the mayor of Gooik. De Cam is currently housed in what was a former brewery dating back to at least 1705, though likely earlier. The location eventually came into the possession of the town of Gooik in 1992, and was converted into a community center. By 1997, the building was reclaimed as part of the Belgian lambic tradition.<ref name=GeuzeKriek>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref> [[File:DeCamGeuzestekerij-9.jpg|thumb|right|Entrance to De Cam]]
In 2000, after a successful three years of blending lambic, Willem van Herreweghen left De Cam to return to Palm Breweries as a technical advisor. At the time, Karel Goddeau had been helping around De Cam and Willem had already suggested that Goddeau take over the operations. While Goddeau was finishing his final project as a student at Hogeschool CTL, researching starting a microbrewery and the brewing process of spontaneously fermented beers at [[Brouwerij_3_Fonteinen|3 Fonteinen]], both Armand and Gaston Debelder agreed to show him the art of blending lambic. In May of 2000 , Goddeau agreed to become the blender at De Cam while still maintining maintaining his day job as a brewer at a non-lambic brewery nearby <ref name=GeuzeKriek>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref>.
Today , De Cam is still one of the smallest lambic blenders in Belgium, receiving their lambic from [[Brouwerij Boon|Boon]], [[Brouwerij Girardin|Girardin]], and [[Brouwerij Lindemans|Lindemans]]. The blendery is also a member of [[HORAL|HORAL]]. For his part, Karel Goddeau still works as a brewer at [http://www.witkap.be Brouwerij Slaghmuylder] about 11 kilometers from Gooik, while maintaining the blending and bottling at De Cam.
==Blending Process==