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Hasselt Jenever Festival 2024: Because Who Needs Beer When You Have Jenever?
Ah, Hasselt Jenever Festival, the weekend when an entire city throws its collective liver under the bus in honour of Belgium’s beloved jenever (or genever, for you linguistics buffs). Think of it as Oktoberfest’s rebellious cousin who prefers gin over beer, laughs in the face of moderation, and thinks “dancing in the streets” should be a year-round activity. Held every October in Hasselt, this festival is a glorious mix of tradition, booze, and people trying not to fall over after sampling one too many flavoured jenevers. Welcome to the wild world of Belgium’s biggest jenever bash!
A (Very) Brief History of Jenever and the Festival
Before you can appreciate the absolute spectacle that is the Hasselt Jenever Festival, let’s dive into the magical elixir that inspired it. Jenever is the grandparent of gin — yes, your precious G&T wouldn’t exist without this herby, juniper-heavy spirit. Invented sometime in the 13th century, it’s been helping people warm up and loosen up for centuries.
Hasselt, in particular, became famous for its jenever production, because why settle for being known for chocolate or waffles when you can be the jenever capital of the world? The festival began back in 1986, because someone thought, “Hey, let’s take this proud tradition of distilling and turn it into a two-day booze-fuelled carnival.” And thus, the Hasselt Jenever Festival was born. It’s now one of Belgium’s quirkiest and most anticipated festivals, where the main attraction is getting tipsy on jenever and then pretending you’re part of some important cultural experience.
When is Hasselt Jenever Festival 2024?
Mark your calendar (and start prepping your liver) for the 19 and 20 of October 2024, when the streets of Hasselt will turn into a jenever playground. Two whole days of parades, tastings, music and people stumbling around trying to decide if they can handle just one more shot of that trendy new cactus-flavoured jenever.
Where is it Held?
As the name suggests, the festival takes over the city of Hasselt, located in the Limburg region of Belgium. Not only is Hasselt charming and quaint (you know, the kind of town with cobblestone streets and an alarming number of churches), but during the festival, it transforms into a mecca for jenever lovers. The whole city joins in, from cosy cafes to random street stalls, all pouring shots of the good stuff.
What to Expect: Jenever, Chaos, and Questionable Dance Moves
So, what actually happens during the Hasselt Jenever Festival? First things first: jenever. Expect dozens of flavours—from the traditional juniper-heavy shots to more bizarre options like vanilla, chocolate, and, yes, even cactus. You’ll likely start with the intention of trying only a couple, but by the end of the day, you’ll have sampled so many flavours that you’ll lose count and possibly the ability to walk in a straight line.
There is even a borrel man fountain that turns water into jenever! You could make a religion out of this.
But it’s not just about the drinking (though let’s not kid ourselves, that’s a huge part of it). There’s also a parade, because no self-respecting European festival is complete without one. Expect floats, local bands and plenty of people in historical costumes, including the Jenever Queen (yes, that’s a thing) waving from her throne. You might be too tipsy to appreciate the pageantry, but it’s there for those fleeting sober moments.
If you’re into learning stuff (even while day-drinking), you can visit the National Jenever Museum, which is conveniently located in Hasselt. You’ll walk through centuries of distilling history and probably leave with more questions than answers. Why did people start flavouring this stuff with chocolate? Who thought cactus jenever was a good idea?
Don’t forget the street food. To balance out the inevitable inebriation, the festival offers food stalls selling all sorts of Belgian treats. Fries? Check. Waffles? Absolutely. And for the brave, there’s even the classic jenever-infused dishes.
Why You Should Attend Hasselt Jenever Festival 2024
Why should you attend this glorious mess? Well, first of all, it’s the perfect excuse to sample unholy amounts of jenever. Think of it as a public service—helping you broaden your knowledge of this very important Belgian spirit.
Second, the vibe is unbeatable. There’s something about a festival where everyone is slightly (or very) tipsy that brings people together. It’s all fun and games until someone misjudges their jenever tolerance and starts a spontaneous street dance-off, but honestly, isn’t that part of the charm?
And let’s be real: how often do you get to attend a festival that revolves around a drink most people have never heard of? Your friends will be out celebrating Oktoberfest with their massive beers, and you’ll be the cool one who went to a festival that honours a drink with a complicated name and an even more complicated flavour profile. #HipsterGoals.
Images © Stad Hasselt.
