Austin's Jester King Celebrates Zwanze Day 2013

Apart from the nonstop luxury flights into other exotic international ports, what do the following worldwide alpha-cities have in common with our modest, southwestern hamlet of Austin, Texas: San Francisco, Brooklyn, Chicago, Seattle, D.C., Montreal, Tokyo, Rome, Brussels, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Paris, and London?

Zwanze Day.

Zwa-wat?

Zwanze Day: a perfectly imaginative mandate that designates a singular afternoon across the world to drinking a very rare, very desired, one-off beer made by Belgian brewing demi-gods Brasserie Cantillon.  Of these 46 global cities, which appear to be scattered indiscriminately across the face of the Earth, Austin's Jester King Brewery will host a single 30-liter keg shipped directly from Brussels to be distributed at their will to Central Texas beer fans on Saturday, September 14th.  That beer is called Zwanze.

Apart from a complimentary keg of Brasserie Cantillon's Fou Foune handed out at Jester King's 1st anniversary celebration, this will be only the second time that Austin has witnessed the brewery's very limited distribution to the state, and the first keg of Zwanze in Texas overall since its inception in 2008.  Its kind of a big deal.

Although Zwanze is typically a pure lambic beer, this year, Brasserie Cantillon concocted a Tripel in an 'abbey style', blending inoculated natural yeast from the brewery and 10% lambic at different stages of fermentation. 

Because interest for a taste of the beer outweighed Jester King's actual supply, the Texas brewery held random lottery for individuals to win the opportunity for a free, four-ounce sampling (comped because Brasserie Cantillon does not hold a license to be sold in the Lone Star State).  So, check all your email accounts and spam folders, because those who have won the opportunity should hold their golden ticket by now.  According to Jester King, the keg will be tapped at 2PM and will be available until their tasting room closes at 6PM.

If you are not one of the 150 selected for sampling, Jester King stresses that Zwanze Day is not a private event for the brewery, and they will be open for any beer fan wanting to celebrate on their grounds with Jester King beers.  Commemorative Zwanze 2013 glassware and t-shirts will be available for purchase to all.