Oedipus Brewing's Mannenliefde Named Best of Show in Brussels
Amsterdam based Oedipus Brewing captured top honors when its Mannenliefde saison was named Best of Show at the 2025 Brussels Beer Challenge, rising above more than 1,700 entries from 36 countries. The award highlights the continuing appeal of balanced farmhouse style beers and signals renewed attention on bold ingredient choices and inclusive branding.
Amsterdam based Oedipus Brewing saw its Mannenliefde saison take the highest prize at the 2025 Brussels Beer Challenge, earning Best of Show out of more than 1,700 beers submitted by breweries from 36 countries. Judges highlighted the beer's balance and restraint, noting a bright blend of Sorachi Ace hops, lemongrass, and Szechuan pepper that gives the saison a distinctive aromatic profile while keeping drinkability front and center. The beer is 6 percent ABV and categorized as a farmhouse style saison.
Mannenliefde has been part of Oedipus since the brewery first opened in 2012, when it served as the brewery's first commercial release. Beyond the flavor profile, the beer is known for its pink packaging and a provocative illustration of a heart shaved into body hair. The name translates from Dutch as men's love and the brewery frames the beer as a response to narrow and gendered norms in beer marketing. Oedipus says, "Our saison wears its heart on its sleeve to encourage openness, vulnerability, and diversity," and the brewery describes the beer's target audience as "everyone."
Oedipus is celebrating the win with a Mannenliefde Best of Show Pack that includes a bottle of the awarded beer, branded glassware, and apparel. Availability and pricing vary by market, so check local distributors and taproom channels for stock and shipping windows.
Other notable medalists at the competition included entries from Brasserie du Bocq in Belgium and Firestone Walker in the United States among a wider list of international winners across categories. For retailers and taproom operators, the award offers a timely merchandising opportunity, and for homebrewers the beer provides a clear example of how unconventional spices and a restrained hop approach can elevate a farmhouse style base. Check availability in your market, consider a tasting or promotional event, and for brewers experiment with Sorachi Ace, lemongrass, and Szechuan pepper in small pilot batches to explore similar aromatic interplay.
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