Brasserie Thiriez

Brasserie Thiriez is an independent craft brewery based in Esquelbecq, near Dunkirk in France's Nord department and close to the Belgian border. Founded in 1996 by Daniel Thiriez, the brewery was established with the aim of reviving the tradition of the small village brewery in a region where local brewing had once been widespread. The site occupies the grounds of a former farm brewery associated with the Poitevin farm, whose brewing activity continued until 1945. Daniel Thiriez developed an interest in homebrewing while he was a university student. Before establishing the brewery, he worked in human resources for a large supermarket chain, but ultimately left that career to pursue brewing professionally. The initial operation was installed in the historic farm buildings and used a small Italian-made Velo brewhouse with a capacity of approximately 6 hectolitres per batch. Demand and production requirements soon exceeded the original installation, leading to the construction of a separate brewery building equipped with a 20-hectolitre brewhouse. The brewery's beers are generally light to medium in colour, top-fermented and distinctly hop-oriented. Their character reflects both historic northern French brewing traditions and Thiriez's personal preference for aromatic bitterness. The range includes blonde, amber, reddish, dark, wheat-containing, seasonal and wood-aged beers. Recipes primarily use English and Czech hop varieties, while some beers also incorporate spices. The brewery maintains a distinctive house yeast strain through a laboratory in Brussels; the strain has also been associated with a commercially released French Saison yeast made available by Wyeast Laboratories from 2007. Production follows traditional methods. A two-step infusion mash is commonly used, after which fermentation takes place warm in cylindro-conical tanks for up to seven days. The beer is then cold-conditioned for roughly two to three weeks before being primed with sugar and moved to a warm room for natural carbonation in bottles or kegs. The beers are unfiltered and can continue to mature after packaging. Formats include 33-centilitre and 75-centilitre bottles, two-litre growlers and draught service. Brasserie Thiriez operates a tasting room and tap at the brewery, where visitors can sample and purchase bottled products. Its beers are distributed in France and exported to other European markets and the United States. Among its best-known offerings are La Blonde d'Esquelbecq, L'Ambrée d'Esquelbecq, Étoile du Nord, La Rouge Flamande, La Maline and L'Esquelbécoise. Special releases have included Christmas beer, plum ale, oak-aged beers and collaborations or beers prepared for local cultural institutions. The brewery remains notable for its small-scale production, regional identity and connection to the revival of independent brewing in northern France.

Brasserie Thiriez was founded in 1996 in Esquelbecq, a village in the Nord department of northern France. The brewery was created by Daniel Thiriez, whose interest in brewing began as a student through homebrewing. After working in human resources for a major supermarket chain, he changed direction and pursued the restoration of a local brewing tradition through an independent village brewery. The brewery occupies a site with an earlier brewing history. The grounds formerly housed the Poitevin farm brewery, which served the surrounding area until 1945. Thiriez's project therefore combined a modern craft-brewing enterprise with a historical location associated with local agricultural and brewing activity. Its position in French Flanders, close to Belgium, also places it within a region shaped by overlapping French and Belgian beer traditions. The original brewery was installed inside the historic farm structure and began production with a Velo brewhouse manufactured in Italy. That system had a capacity of six hectolitres per batch. As the brewery's beers gained a wider audience, the original facility became insufficient. Production was subsequently moved into a purpose-built building on the same grounds, where a 20-hectolitre brewhouse was installed. During the brewing season, batches are initiated approximately three times per week to support the brewery's annual output. Thiriez developed a house style based primarily on pale to medium-coloured top-fermented beers with notable hop expression. The approach draws on historic beers from the region while also reflecting the brewer's preference for English and Czech hop varieties. Some recipes use spices, and the portfolio includes beers influenced by bière de garde, saison and broader farmhouse-ale traditions without being limited to a single formal style category. The brewery's process is deliberately traditional. A two-step infusion mash is generally followed by warm fermentation for as long as seven days in cylindro-conical tanks. The beer is then cold-conditioned for approximately two to three weeks. Sugar is added before the beer is placed in a warm room, allowing natural carbonation in bottles or kegs. Products are not filtered and can continue to develop after packaging. The brewery's distinctive yeast is maintained by a Brussels laboratory, with fresh supplies typically obtained after repeated use. In 2007, Wyeast Laboratories released a French Saison strain that beer enthusiasts widely associated with the Thiriez yeast, although the brewery's strain history is best understood as a matter of reported brewing-industry association rather than a formal corporate product relationship. The range expanded beyond the core blonde and amber beers to include Étoile du Nord, La Rouge Flamande, La Maline, L'Esquelbécoise, Bière de Noël and oak-aged releases. Étoile du Nord originated under the name Frères de la Bière and was later exported to the United States as Thiriez EXTRA. Its name was changed in 2007 after Brasserie De Ranke raised concerns about similarity to the name XX Bitter. Special beers have also been made for local events and institutions, including La Bénache for the Musée de la Vie Rurale in Steenwerck, as well as fruit-based and wood-aged experiments. Brasserie Thiriez sells beer from a tasting room and tap located at the brewery. Its products are offered in small and large glass-bottle formats, two-litre growlers and on draught. Distribution extends throughout France, into European export markets and to the United States. The brewery's identity remains centered on regional continuity, independent production, traditional conditioning and strongly flavoured but accessible ales.

• 2007

  Étoile du Nord name changed for export identity

  [1]Brasserie Thiriezen.wikipedia.org

  The beer formerly known as Frères de la Bière was renamed Étoile du Nord; it is exported to the United States under the name Thiriez EXTRA.

• 2007

  French Saison yeast released commercially

  [1]Brasserie Thiriezen.wikipedia.org

  Wyeast Laboratories released a French Saison strain that was widely believed by beer observers to have been derived from the Thiriez house yeast.

• 1996

  Brasserie Thiriez founded

  [1]Brasserie Thiriezen.wikipedia.org

  Daniel Thiriez established the brewery in Esquelbecq after developing an interest in homebrewing and leaving a career in supermarket-sector human resources.

• 1945

  End of brewing at the Poitevin farm brewery

  [1]Brasserie Thiriezen.wikipedia.org

  The earlier Poitevin farm brewery on the site is reported to have ceased serving the local area around this time.

Independent northern French craft brewery emphasizing traditional top fermentation, pronounced hop character, bottle conditioning, local Flemish heritage and small-scale production.

• Blonde ale

  La Blonde d'Esquelbecq

  A core blonde beer representing the brewery's preference for pale, top-fermented and hop-present ales. It is one of the principal beers associated with the Esquelbecq brewery.

• Amber ale; bière de garde-inspired

  L'Ambrée d'Esquelbecq

  A red-amber ale brewed with Pilsener and Munich malts and hopped with Brewer's Gold and Saaz. Its malt colour and fermentation profile connect it with northern French bière de garde traditions.

• Hoppy blonde ale

  Étoile du Nord

  A relatively light blonde ale with a pronounced hop character, developed with the participation of English brewer John Davidson. Bramling Cross is used prominently. The beer was formerly called Frères de la Bière and is sold in the United States as Thiriez EXTRA.

• Red ale

  La Rouge Flamande

  A reddish ale named after the Rouge Flamande, a local Flemish breed of cattle. The name reinforces the brewery's regional identity and connection to French Flanders.

• Dark ale

  La Maline

  A blackish-brown ale within the brewery's broader range of traditional, top-fermented beers.

• Wheat beer

  L'Esquelbécoise

  A blonde beer brewed with both wheat and barley, offering a grain bill distinct from the brewery's more conventional pale and amber ales.

• Seasonal Christmas beer

  Bière de Noël

  A seasonal Christmas beer produced as part of the brewery's rotating and calendar-linked offerings.

• Oak-aged ale

  Vieille Brune

  An oak-aged series based on Thiriez beers. Reported batches have ranged in colour from amber to brown, making it an occasional maturation project rather than a single narrowly defined recipe.

• 2007

  Rename of Frères de la BièreOther

  Background

  The beer Frères de la Bière had an earlier name that was considered too close to Brasserie De Ranke's XX Bitter branding.

  Action taken

  The brewery adopted the name Étoile du Nord for the beer; the product is exported to the United States as Thiriez EXTRA.

  Aftermath

  The renamed beer remained part of the brewery's export range.

  • Brasserie De Ranke — The brewery requested a name change because of the perceived similarity to XX Bitter.

  Source

1. 1Brasserie Thiriezen.wikipedia.org