They graduated in 2008 and immediately secured jobs in three very different breweries. Van Lancker got a job at De Proef Brouwerij. In Flemish, “proef” can mean “taste,” “test,” or “try.” But De Proef the brewery is a contract facility in Lochristi owned by scientist and brewmaster Dirk Naudts, who’s known as “The Prof” by locals. “I’ve got huge respect for Dirk,” Van Lancker says. “He’s one of my brewing heroes. He’s one of the best brewers in the world. He wanted to stay out of the limelight, but in doing so, he has become famous.”

Working at De Proef—who brews for Mikkeller, Omnipollo, and To Øl—exposed Van Lancker to myriad styles and a range of beers from other parts of the world. “Belgium has always been our first influence,” Van Lancker says. “But because I worked for De Proef I had a lot of Scandinavian beers and a lot of American-style beers.”

Lippens began working for Brouwerij Omer Vanderghinste, a regional family brewery in West Flanders most known for its traditional blond, Omer (8% ABV), and its mixed fermentation Vanderghinste Oud Bruin (5.5% ABV). “The day after I ended my brewing studies I started working in Omer,” Lippens says. “After two years there I became head brewer.”

He split his time between the brewhouse and technical projects such as automating the brewery filtration and cleaning systems. For Lippens, Verzet fulfills his craving for a different challenge. “I was never involved in recipe development at Omer,” he says. “I told them I loved working there, but that my creativity was being pushed down. I need to do stuff. I want to fail. At Omer, nothing can fail. Every beer has to be right on. I personally don’t mind bringing a beer out that doesn’t work. My personal goal is to be the best brewer in the world. It’s impossible to be that. But for me it’s about learning.”