Tipsy Tribe Brewery & Distillery releases \u201cBrussels Whisky,\u201d an American-style spirit built on Belgian grain and Brussels history<\/em><\/p>\n Brussels has never had its own whisky. Until now.<\/p>\n Tipsy Tribe Brewery & Distillery, the small brewery-and-distillery hybrid tucked into Koekelberg, has released \u201cBrussels Whisky\u201d \u2014 the first whisky ever produced within the Brussels-Capital Region. The launch, held on 26 September 2026 at Tipsy Tribe\u2019s own premises, marked the debut of what the founders hope will be an ongoing series of Brussels-made whiskies.<\/p>\n It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n American style, Belgian roots<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBrewing is the first step to making a good whisky,\u201d said Daniel Fastenau, brewer-distiller and co-founder of Tipsy Tribe. \u201cHere 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\u2019m also a big fan of whisky, so being able to make our own was also a big passion project for me.\u201d<\/p>\n The result leans on classic bourbon profiles while staying distinctly local. \u201cWe\u2019ve always believed Brussels deserved its own whisky, and after tasting it we are very proud with the outcome,\u201d said Aylin Fastenau, co-founder and head of marketing & communications. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Koekelberg\u2019s distilling legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n The choice of Koekelberg isn\u2019t incidental. The municipality has a genuine claim to distilling history: it\u2019s where Jean-Baptiste Cellier-Blumenthal first experimented with the design that became the modern column still, back in the 19th century.<\/p>\n \u201cBelgium is known for its amazing beers, but what is less known is its rich history with spirits,\u201d Aylin Fastenau noted. \u201cBelgium 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Koekelberg\u2019s mayor, Olivia P\u2019tito, welcomed the release as an extension of the municipality\u2019s artisanal reputation: \u201cKoekelberg 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.\u201d<\/p>\n A first bottle for a good cause<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Small-batch, solar-powered<\/strong><\/p>\n The whisky was made entirely in-house, from grinding the grain through to bottling, on Tipsy Tribe\u2019s small-scale distillation setup \u2014 though the operation isn\u2019t standing still: 2025 brought a tenfold increase in distilling capacity with the arrival of a new still, suggesting future batches won\u2019t stay quite this small.<\/p>\n Sustainability runs through the whole operation. Tipsy Tribe\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n About Tipsy Tribe<\/strong><\/p>\n Tipsy Tribe is Brussels\u2019 first brewstillery, producing beer, gin, vodka, raki, liqueurs and now whisky entirely in-house in Koekelberg. Founded by Daniel and Aylin Fastenau \u2014 first-generation immigrants from the US and Turkey respectively \u2014 the company went commercial in 2022 after years of homebrewing, and maintains 50\/50 gender equality in ownership.<\/p>\n See our 2023 interview with Aylin and Daniel<\/a>.<\/p>\n Brussels Whisky is available in extremely limited quantity and has almost sold out. More on Tipsy Tribe at www.tipsytribe.be<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.idiots.beer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/whiskyimage.jpg\")
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