Tipsy Tribe in Koekelberg, Brussels combines a craft brewery with distilling, making it a first in the city says owners Daniel and Aylin Fastenau.
They have now have a range of nine beers, with some containing distilled lime and lemon zests or juniper essence. In parallel, they produce vodka and gin. It is a pairing the couple have been working on since beginning production in August 2022.
They had already invested in the building on a residential street in Koekelberg, so weathered the COVID crisis and the economic and supply chain crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine. This includes juggling between being parents to two children, starting a business from scratch, and discovering the intricacies of Belgian administration for both a brewery and a distillery.
No matter. They have survived, and from the visits to their in door shop one Saturday afternoon, they seem to have fitted into the neighbourhood.
Daniel is originally from the USA, Aylin from Turkey. He mainly does the brewing and distilling, while Aylin looks after the marketing and communication. They first started brewing beer as a hobby in 2016 and branched out into distilling spirits as well.
