JENLAIN ARTISANAL AND INDEPENDENT
Beerology: Jenlain, a century of creativity
If we tell you Jenlain, you answer us... Beer. Unless you live on another planet, any good self-respecting Lille resident has already crossed paths with this 100% northern beer, if only at the clearance sale to accompany their traditional mussels and fries. From there to imagine the history and the know-how behind it...
Jenlain is one of the prides of the North that you gladly carry in your suitcase with a Meert waffle or a Maroilles to spoil foreign friends and show off a little with specialties that are not lacking in character. To go to the end of the surprise and tell the story that goes with it, read the few lines that follow. You'll discover that Jenlain is a beer like no other (and therefore you did well to put it in your suitcase). That it bears the name of a cute little village in Avesnois and that it all started almost 100 years ago. A century yes. Duyck is one of the oldest independent French breweries. It was in 1922 that Félix Duyck decided to set up the family brewery in one of the three farm breweries in the village.
FROM ONE INVENTION TO ANOTHER
Like many brewers at the time, Félix produced lager beer, meaning beer “that has been kept”. Production conditions (particularly for fermentation) required them to brew in winter and distribute in summer. In the meantime, the beverage was carefully “kept” in barrels. While the blonde dominates the market, this dear Félix, he creates a recipe for amber beer. The same one that you can still taste today! Why ? Because sir has a palace! “Laying down allowed the product to be finished and to bring a little roundness to the beer,” explains Mathieu Duyck, the current director.
THE CHAMPENOIS BOTTLE
The Second World War miraculously spared the brewery, but production conditions were weakened. Beer consumption is falling, consumers are abandoning kegs for bottles. So, Félix and his son Robert have a genius idea: they imagine packaging their beer for laying down in recycled champagne bottles rather than in bottles with mechanical corks. The Champagne bottle goes down in history. The Duycks hit hard, once again. A bottlee original for an original beer...
ToEACH HIS OWN FOOTPRINT
In 1968, Robert gave a name to this beer which had not had one until then...: Jenlain, in homage to the village which saw the family brewery prosper. The history of the northern brewery is thus akin to a real success story. Raymond Duyck develops new internationally renowned beers and transforms the brewery by industrializing the process without ever touching the know-how. Jenlain beers are only made from natural products: spring water drawn directly from the brewery, malt and French hops. For several decades, Jenlain has been using the Strisselspalt variety for all its beers, a fine, soft, balanced and lemony hop produced in Alsace.
BEER FROM THE BRADERIE
In the 1960s, a retailer from Lille had the idea of offering Jenlain to his customers. As its establishment was located near the University of La Catho, the students of Lille appropriated it and took it upon themselves to make it known to those around them. Associated with festive occasions, Jenlain was for a long time the unofficial drink of the famous flea market. Jenlain is also the first specialty beer to be distributed in mass distribution. In the 90s, the Duyck brewery created new beers including an organic beer La Fraîche de l'Aunelle. “It didn't all work out, but creativity and innovation are part of our brewery's DNA,” explains the new manager.
NEW GENERATION
Since 2014, the epic continues with Mathieu Duyck, 5th generation of brewers. A watchword: to combine modernity and tradition of yesteryear. The brewery has refocused its products while innovating with new long-keeping beers such as "L'humeur du brasseur", a very hoppy thirst-quenching beer. The whole image of the brand has also evolved with new packaging, new labels and even new packaging. Jenlain is the first long-keeping beer to be distributed in cans. “Few brewers believed in it because the can hasn't always had good press, but today it's a real hit with the fashion for craft beer. We invested in a packaging line and were right. Today, about twenty brewers use our services to package their beers in cans”. Recently, you can find a few beers from among the eight taps offered by the brewery in some of Lille's unmissable establishments (La Capsule, Camden, Le Barbier qui fume, etc.). A great opportunity to (re)discover this beautiful centenary which has not aged a bit.
MATHIEU DUYCK: A NEW COURSE!
Fifth generation of brewers, Mathieu Duyck joined the family brewery in 2013. Faithful to his ancestors, the man has more than one challenge in mind. Surprising and never being where expected, such could be the motto of the entrepreneur.
TAKING OVER AN ALMOST 100-YEAR-OLD FAMILY BREWERY IS A HUGE PRESSURE, IS IT?
Pressure ? By running a brewery, we are confronted with it daily, right? More seriously, of course it's a responsibility, but above all it's an exciting adventure. In a family transmission, you need someone who wants to take over but also someone who wants to transmit. My father did everything to facilitate the handover, he gave me time. I was able to take my bearings, immerse myself in the company and set up my roadmap.
IN THREE YEARS, YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE A LOT OF CHANGES...
Yes, it's true. When I arrived, I did an audit on the brand because I sensed a lack of knowledge of our beers. And indeed, there was a certain inconsistency between our image and what we are: a brewery certainly with an industrial process but with a micro-brewery spirit. We rely on a century-old history, unique recipes and know-how acquired over time. The audit revealed that everyone knew the brand but not the know-how behind it. Some people thought we belonged to a big group. Our company is the oldest independent brewery in the region! We had to remember what makes the DNA of our beers: creativity, know-how and taste.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR IMAGE THEN?
We have worked on the design of all our bottles, the packaging, the labels, the brand blocks by communicating about people and our village. We have also removed a few products from our range to refocus and launch some new products such as Humeur du Brasseur, also available on tap. For our greatest pleasure, we are reinvesting the CHR at La Capsule, for example in Lille, in particular with our draft beers.
A WORD ON THE MOOD OF THE BREWER?
The 1st edition of L'Humeur du Brasseur pays tribute to this creator of flavors who crafts beers and skillfully combines cereals, hops, water and yeasts. This gave birth to the "Ambrée Intense", strong in flavor and delicate on the palate, which seduces with its marked aromas of roasted malts and its subtle bitterness. The second edition, also limited, comes out in May. The 2nd edition is a blond beer. This one is imprinted with the number 2 because it is brewed with 2 different yeasts, 2 special malts and 2 aromatic hops. A blond with a lively and frank attack marked by beautiful notes of citrus fruits and grapefruit. A real exclusivity that can be enjoyed in the bottle but also... on tap.
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