Brewer
Jean Van Roy
- Discipline
- Brewer
i. Biography
Spontaneous-fermentation brewing in Brussels depends on continuity: wort exposed in a coolship, native yeast and bacteria doing the work, oak taking the beer through a long maturation, and a house palate deciding when the beer is ready. At Brasserie Cantillon in Brussels, Belgium, Jean Van Roy carries that work as owner and brewmaster, with the family line running through Marcel Cantillon and Pierre Van Roy, from whom he learned the brewery’s methods while growing up inside the brewery. “Lambic. This is a part of my life, of my family, my own history and my city history.” Jean has said.
Career Arc
Since 1989, the brewmaster-owner role at Brasserie Cantillon has required both production judgment and custody of method. Jean Van Roy has held that role at the Anderlecht brewery by keeping lambic practice tied to traditional brewing methods rather than novelty for its own sake. The work is measured in batch discipline, house character, and the ability to keep an old Brussels brewery relevant without making it unrecognizable.
Where They Are Now
Traditional lambic production at Brasserie Cantillon continues to use 100% organic grains and hops. For its lambic products, the brewery works with 65% malted barley and 35% unmalted wheat. Fermentation begins spontaneously in a large coolship in the attic, where the wort is exposed to wild yeast, then continues through aging in oak barrels. The full process can take between two and three years. The brewery also functions as the Brussels Gueuze Museum, placing production and interpretation in the same working site. Zwanze Day and Cantillon Public Brewing Sessions extend that practice to visitors and drinkers who follow the brewery’s methods closely.
Career - Brewmaster and Owner — Brasserie Cantillon, Anderlecht, Brussels (1989–present)
Signature
Signature beers include Cuvée Saint-Gilloise and Iris.
Recognition
Recognition for this work has come less through conventional awards than through sustained attention from lambic drinkers and brewers. Cuvée Saint-Gilloise and Iris are cited well beyond Belgium, with interest in countries including Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Italy, and the U.S. For a brewery working in spontaneous fermentation, that reach reflects confidence in method: consistent materials, long aging, and a house character maintained across generations.
FAQ What is Jean Van Roy's current role? Jean Van Roy is brewer-owner of Brasserie Cantillon. What is Jean Van Roy known for? Lambic.
