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A Brewery Tour That Was More Than Just Beer: A Lesson in Entrepreneurship and Innovation

culture entrepreneurship innovation

Some time ago, I visited a local brewery ('t Verzet) with my family. Expecting the usual tour—a rundown of beer production and why their brew was the best—I was in for a surprise. This visit turned out to be far more than just a beer-tasting experience; it was a fascinating lesson in entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Science of Brewing and the Business of Beer

The presentation began with the brewery’s history. Unlike many craft brewers, the founders weren’t self-taught enthusiasts but university-trained experts. In Belgium, brewing is serious business—so serious that you can study it at university. Both founders earned master’s degrees in biochemistry, specializing in brewing technology. After honing their craft in established breweries, they set out to create their own, driven by a passion for unique flavors and a desire to experiment with unconventional ingredients rather than mass-market beers.

However, they quickly realized that brewing great beer wasn’t enough; running a successful brewery required strong sales and marketing skills as well. Recognizing this, they made a strategic and innovative decision: instead of struggling to learn sales themselves, they brought in a third partner—someone who shared their love for beer but excelled in sales rather than brewing. This unconventional team structure was key to their success, proving that great businesses require complementary skills, not just great products.

Deliberate Growth: Innovation Through Focus

Today, the company remains small, with a team of just four people. To many business owners, that might seem limiting, but what struck me was that this was a deliberate strategic choice. Rather than chasing rapid expansion, they focused on innovation in brewing techniques and ingredient selection.

Their approach is not about scaling up but going deeper—perfecting traditional barrel-aged styles, experimenting with a diverse range of ingredients, and crafting beers that stand out in an increasingly crowded market. In an age where many businesses obsess over aggressive growth and unicorn ambitions, their clarity of vision is refreshing.

Not all innovation is about disruption; sometimes, it’s about perfecting and preserving something valuable in new and creative ways.

Beyond Brewing: Innovation in Sustainability

The tour continued with a more traditional explanation of beer brewing, accompanied by the rhythmic bubbling of active fermentation tanks. The team jokingly remarked that the manual labor involved meant they could skip the gym. But beyond the humor, it was evident that sustainability was a core part of their innovative approach to brewing.

They employed heat and water recovery techniques, minimizing waste and making their process as eco-friendly as possible. Sustainability in brewing isn’t just about being responsible; it’s a way to increase efficiency and differentiate in an industry where many still rely on outdated production methods.

A Brewery with a Mission, a bit of Rebellion and a Bold Message

Then came the most surprising part of the tour. As our guide reiterated their mission to preserve traditional beer styles, he pointed to a striking mural on the wall. The artwork, filled with cartoon-like characters representing their beer names, depicted a battle against an eagle—a not-so-subtle nod to AB InBev, the brewing giant.

This wasn’t just decoration—it was a visual representation of their resistance against corporate beer culture. Many businesses struggle to define their identity, but here, it was crystal clear: they stand for independence, craftsmanship, and a refusal to compromise quality for mass-market appeal.

I love this kind of thing. Great teams use their walls. Never underestimate the power of what’s visible in a workspace—it serves as a daily reinforcement of company culture. I once saw the opposite: a company that desperately wanted to brand itself as an innovative product leader, yet its most prominent wall display was a monthly bulletin showcasing cost savings from contract negotiations. Managing costs is essential, but celebrating it as the highlight of the month builds a cost-cutting culture, not an innovation-driven one.


📍 Fun fact: To showcase their results, one of the cupboards was transformed into a "stoeferskast", a bragging closet in the local dialect. This emphasized both pride in their achievements and a rebellious spirit.

Scaling Beyond Borders

But make no mistake—choosing independence doesn’t mean limiting their ambitions to their immediate surroundings. While you won’t find their beers in every supermarket, they have successfully competed on an international level. The founders proudly shared how they entered the Swedish supplier competition for Systembolaget and won—beating many larger Belgian breweries with similar beer styles.

This wasn’t just a business win; it was an example of strategic innovation. Instead of competing for supermarket shelf space in Belgium, they targeted an international niche market where they could stand out. You might not find their brews in your local grocery store, but if you’re in Sweden, you just might spot them at Systembolaget.

📍 Fun fact: Due to the high alcohol percentage of Belgian beers, many of them automatically fall into Sweden’s restricted wine & liquor category rather than the regular beer section.

Creative Brewing: Innovation in Barrel Aging

Our tour concluded at the wooden barrels where their beers are aged. The brewery’s personality was on full display here: rather than using traditional Roman numerals to label the barrels, they named them after their favorite musicians. This small but telling detail reinforced their authenticity—what they said in their presentation was clearly reflected in how they operated.

We also learned an interesting brewing trick: keeping air out of the barrels is crucial. If oxygen gets in, it turns the beer into vinegar—a major flaw in most cases. But this brewery took it a step further. They intentionally left some barrels open to the air, allowing the beer inside to develop a vinegar taste, which they then blended with non-vinegar beers to create a unique brew reminiscent of balsamic vinegar.

This is what I love about true innovation—it’s not just about inventing something new but about using existing knowledge in a completely unexpected way. Who would have thought a beer could be designed to taste like balsamic vinegar? Yet, when I tried it afterward, it really did!


A Perfect Ending to a Memorable Experience

The tour ended, as expected, with a tasting session—thankfully in small glasses, allowing us to sample multiple beers. With 27 varieties available, our group was large enough to try them all. As always, there were some I loved and others that weren’t quite to my taste, but everyone found a few favorites. Naturally, we didn’t leave empty-handed, taking home a stash of our top picks.

This visit reminded me that great businesses aren’t just about what they make; they’re about how and why they make it. This brewery isn’t just producing beer; it’s a living example of innovation and entrepreneurship—from the way they built their team, to their brewing techniques, to the way they position themselves in the market.

In a world where so many companies chase endless growth, it was refreshing to see a business that stayed true to its passion, embraced its identity, and remained fiercely independent.

And, yes, of course, the beer was excellent.