• Country

Dutch Craft Beer for Cyclists Exceeds Crowdfunding Goal by 60 Per Cent

By Františka Blažková

Daan van Well and Martijn Snelder had a long-time dream – to connect their favourite worlds of beer and cycling. And since it’s been proven that a nice glass of cold one is actually beneficial for you after a ride, there’s a great potential in these grounds we’re just starting to discover.

That is why these two teamed up with a top brewery in Holland and the Superprestige Carefully Crafted à BLOC beer was born. Allegedly, it’s an unpasteurized naturally isotonic blond craft beer with Alpine Minerals at 4,9% vol. The creators have even selected the so called Alpine Minerals themselves and claim that they improve rehydration and recovery after a ride. The name of the beer “à BLOC” originates from a French phrase to ride “flat out” and that’s exactly how the creators treated the product launch.

The word got out about it and they’ve decided to go big. Daan and Martijn have started a crowdfunding campaign at Symbid, a leading European investment crowdfunding website, and waited if there are any other enthusiasts for a good beer and beloved sport. And boy, did they succeed. The initial fundraising target in January was set to €150,000 but if you were to check the page today you’ll see the goal single-handedly exceeded by nearly additional €100,000 (€243,500 in total) by the time the campaign ended. We think their video full of optimism and convincing arguments (and delicious beer fizzing noises) is to blame.

They’ve already managed launch the beer in Australia at the Tour Down Under and January also saw it unveiled at UK’s London Bike Show. You can currently get à BLOC at several pubs and e-shops across the Netherlands, Australia, UK, and Spain. That’s not bad for a product born of such a niche combination of things.

In the words of the creators, à BLOC wants to be where cyclists are, and they are apparently everywhere. From professional events such as Tour de France and downhill showcases, to a casual weekend bike outing with friends, à BLOC claims that selling beer isn’t their only aim – it’s about bringing cyclists together over it. It should be about friendship, sharing stories, rehydrating, and, admittedly, getting a bit tipsy. We can’t wait to get our hands on a testing sample. For science, of course.