CoHop - Beers 'n' Bites in Brussels

The latest taproom that opened in the Brussels region, is a bit special. CoHop is not just a brewery, but actually a cooperative of a couple of former gypsy brewers that had been around for a while already, and… CoHop! They all share a 20hl brewing installation and 13 fermenters together—taking turns brewing—and a nice mezzanine taproom with 24 taps, on the historic Arsenal site in Etterbeek.

The four breweries that make up CoHop, are Witloof, DrinkThatBeer, Janine Boulangerie-Brasserie, and 1B2T (1 Bière 2 Tartines). Then there are also beers simply released under the name of CoHop, brewed by one of the staff members of the ‘brewpub’. Together, they fill up the draught board pretty well, although there usually is room for a couple of guest beers as well. Sometimes there are even tap takeovers, so far mainly by breweries in and near Brussels!

Bread

One of there cooperating breweries—Janine— also being a bakery, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that their bread features on the food menu: the organic hotdogs—both meaty and veggie—and croque monsieurs are made with their bread. Also available in the bar during its opening hours—Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm to midnight—are tapas, dry sausages, and of course cheese!
There actually is a sandwich shop on the ground floor—also using bread from Janine, of course—but it’s only open around noon, when the bar is still closed…

The mezzanine bar—providing a nice bird’s eye view of the brewery—seems quite roomy, but the elevated part of the bar also serves as a stage for the numerous events, like concerts, quizzes, and stand-up comedy shows.

These days, starting a new, actual brewery isn’t easy, and However, by working together four gypsy breweries finally found a home, in a beautiful location, that definitely is worth a visit!