Tipsy Tribe: Brussels gets its first-ever whisky
Tipsy Tribe Brewery & Distillery releases “Brussels Whisky,” an American-style spirit built on Belgian grain and Brussels history
Brussels has never had its own whisky. Until now.
Tipsy Tribe Brewery & Distillery, the small brewery-and-distillery hybrid tucked into Koekelberg, has released “Brussels Whisky” — the first whisky ever produced within the Brussels-Capital Region. The launch, held on 26 September 2026 at Tipsy Tribe’s own premises, marked the debut of what the founders hope will be an ongoing series of Brussels-made whiskies.
It’s a small release by design: an American-style whisky made with Belgian malts, corn and rye, aged in virgin American oak, from a batch of roughly 65 bottles. The barrel was laid down back on 9 March 2023, meaning this whisky has been quietly ageing in Koekelberg for the better part of three and a half years before finally reaching a glass.
American style, Belgian roots
“Brewing is the first step to making a good whisky,” said Daniel Fastenau, brewer-distiller and co-founder of Tipsy Tribe. “Here at Tipsy Tribe we are uniquely positioned to have both brewing and distilling facilities under a single roof, so releasing our own whisky was a natural next step for us. I’m also a big fan of whisky, so being able to make our own was also a big passion project for me.”
The result leans on classic bourbon profiles while staying distinctly local. “We’ve always believed Brussels deserved its own whisky, and after tasting it we are very proud with the outcome,” said Aylin Fastenau, co-founder and head of marketing & communications. “The fact that this whisky is Belgian, but with a foreign inspiration, is a perfect embodiment of the multicultural nature of Brussels and our team at Tipsy Tribe.”
Koekelberg’s distilling legacy
The choice of Koekelberg isn’t incidental. The municipality has a genuine claim to distilling history: it’s where Jean-Baptiste Cellier-Blumenthal first experimented with the design that became the modern column still, back in the 19th century.
“Belgium is known for its amazing beers, but what is less known is its rich history with spirits,” Aylin Fastenau noted. “Belgium has a long tradition of making genever, amongst others. In fact, Koekelberg was the birthplace of modern distillation. So having the first whisky made in Brussels in the distillery in Koekelberg is an ode to a rich heritage.”
Koekelberg’s mayor, Olivia P’tito, welcomed the release as an extension of the municipality’s artisanal reputation: “Koekelberg is proud of its rich artisanal heritage. We have long been known for our genuine craftsmanship and expertise in chocolate. With Brussels Whisky, another exceptional artisanal product is now adding to the richness of Koekelberg. I would like to congratulate Tipsy Tribe on this wonderful innovation and invite everyone to come and discover this unique brewery-distillery in our municipality.”
A first bottle for a good cause
The very first bottle from the batch was auctioned off at the launch event, with all proceeds going toward school materials for a local Koekelberg school.
Small-batch, solar-powered
The whisky was made entirely in-house, from grinding the grain through to bottling, on Tipsy Tribe’s small-scale distillation setup — though the operation isn’t standing still: 2025 brought a tenfold increase in distilling capacity with the arrival of a new still, suggesting future batches won’t stay quite this small.
Sustainability runs through the whole operation. Tipsy Tribe’s spirits production is fully solar-powered, and the company holds a 3-star ecodynamic label, a recognition for eco-responsible businesses in the Brussels-Capital Region. It’s also part of the Brussels Good Food network and the Brussels Beer Waste Coop, and it sends spent grain to local farmers, offers discounts to customers who reuse Tipsy Tribe boxes, and repurposes distillation by-products as cleaning agents.
About Tipsy Tribe
Tipsy Tribe is Brussels’ first brewstillery, producing beer, gin, vodka, raki, liqueurs and now whisky entirely in-house in Koekelberg. Founded by Daniel and Aylin Fastenau — first-generation immigrants from the US and Turkey respectively — the company went commercial in 2022 after years of homebrewing, and maintains 50/50 gender equality in ownership.
See our 2023 interview with Aylin and Daniel.
Brussels Whisky is available in extremely limited quantity and has almost sold out. More on Tipsy Tribe at www.tipsytribe.be.
