(Brasserie à Vapeur) is a small, artisanal brewery situated in the town of Pipaix, Belgium, 74 kilometers southwest of Brussels. The name translates in French to “steam brewery,” a name well justified because it is actually powered by an old steam engine. The brewery was originally opened in 1780 on a farm in Pipaix by Cosne-Damien Cuvelier and his wife, Marie Alexandrine Moulin. Descendants of their family ran the brewery, with the last family member, Gaston Biset, operating it from 1930 to 1983. By this time the brewery closed and was in disrepair, facing demolition. In 1984 the brewery was purchased by a young couple, Jean-Louis Dits and his wife Anne-Marie Lemaire (Sittelle), who had always dreamed of owning a brewery. They rebuilt much of the brewery and opened up for business. Tragically, Sittelle was killed in an accident at the brewery in 1990. Jean-Louis pressed on and continued operating the brewery, which brews only on the last Saturday of each month. Brasserie à Vapeur brews several artisanal beers, and despite the brewery’s tiny production it has gained an international reputation. The oldest and best known of their beers is an idiosyncratic Saison-style of beer called Saison de Pipaix, whose heritage and recipe date to 1785. See saison. It is a very dry ale spiced with black pepper, ginger, sweet orange peel, curacao orange peel, and star anise. It ages quite well, and it is still possible to find bottlings from the late 1980s. Three other beers are also brewed: Vapeur Cochonne, Vapeur Legere, and Vapeur en Folie. All are spiced in the old farmhouse ale tradition. Except for Saison de Pipaix, the labels of the beers feature colorful, cartoon characters designed by Belgian artist Louis-Michel Carpentier.