At Cave Direct, we’re passionate about exceptional specialty beers from around the world, with a particular fondness for Belgian beer, as it first sparked our passion for this industry. That’s why we were thrilled to have Ashley and Amy represent us at the renowned Huyghe Brewery, home of Delirium Tremens, to brew Deliria on International Women’s Day. Discover more about this unique beer and the Deliria Brew Day from Ashley herself:
I was thrilled to represent Cave Direct at the 11th Deliria Brew Day. It was my first time at the renowned Huyghe Brewery, and I was excited to have the opportunity to brew a beer there, especially on International Women’s Day. In addition to the brewing itself, I wanted to find out more about Deliria, the history and inspirations behind this female-brewed beer.
I spoke to Catherine De Laet, the Huyghe Marketing Manager and creative mind behind Deliria, about the inspirations behind this female-led brew day. She explained “I wanted to make this because of the misunderstanding around women and beer. In the beginning when I met my husband and went to receptions with him, the waiter would always ask me if I wanted a glass of white wine or Champagne, and if they offered me beer it was always a fruit beer. So, I wanted to make clear that women can and do appreciate good strong speciality beer, and that’s why I had the idea to brew a beer together with women”.
Amy and I joined a group of 14 other women, all who work in the beer industry, to brew the 11th edition of Deliria. It was wonderful meeting such an international collective of women working in the industry from countries such as the USA, Italy, Finland, Belgium and Latvia.
Brewmaster Joris gave us the top-secret recipe and guided us as we prepared all the ingredients for the Deliria brew. We began by preparing the grains, (which I was surprised to see included Basmati Rice) and then moved onto the brewhouse where we cleaned the filters, removing any stuck grains. We then prepared the hops and ground up coriander seeds to be added in later. Finally, we added 2000kg of sugar into the sugar tank. Over the course of the day, we worked on making the wort, which would later have yeast added to it. It was fascinating to see how beer is being brewed in a highly automated commercial brewery, and even though it was a challenging process, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. To celebrate our efforts, we had the pleasure of tasting the 2022 edition of Deliria. Absolutely delicious.
Deliria is a pale blonde colour with a fine creamy-white head which clings to the glass. It has a balanced aroma with a fruity, flowery background and an initial Chardonnay impression which evolves into a spicy, mild aroma of hops. Deliria is pleasantly sparkling, full-bodied and balanced with fruity tones of apple and Chardonnay grapes. With a fine, mild bitterness in its aftertaste and a splendid round feel in mouth that evolves well.
One of the things that make Deliria stand out is that the proceeds of the profits made from Deliria each year are given to women’s charities, including the Breast Cancer Association in the USA, as well as some local Flemish charities that provide massages to women who are undergoing breast cancer treatments. Huyghe Brewery also participates in the Pink Boots Society, which aims to inspire and encourage women and non-binary individuals in the alcoholic beverage industry to advance their careers through education.
We are proud to be part of this movement, and to offer Deliria to our customers. Not only is it a delicious and refreshing beer, but it also supports a worthy cause. We encourage you to try it for yourself and join us in celebrating the women who are making a difference in the beer industry and beyond.