

"Gruut" was a spice mixture used in the Middle Ages to flavor the light beer. The herbal mixture contained oat sage, trout, yarrow, rosemary, gale, pine needles and dead nettle. Hops were introduced later by the German monks and as a result the herbs disappeared.
For the Wittoen we do it the other way around and we replace the hops again with a number of old-fashioned herbs . In the end we obtain a subtly flavoured, amber colored beer . Definitely taste it!
The beer was named 'Wittoen' after the Oostkamp knight Wittoen. Knight Jan Wittoen was lord of the seigniory Orscamp in 1417 and mayor of the Free. In the autumn of 1419 we find him again at the side of Duke Philip the Good at the battle of Mons and Vimen.
In November 1433 Jan Wittoen experienced difficulties. A burgher of the city of Ghent, Henri van de Camere, sued him. He claimed that some parcels of land from the Orscamp seigniory belonged to him. The case was judged by five aldermen of Bruges, in favor of Jan Wittoen. In 1454 knight Jan Wittoen and his wife Ligarde sold the seigniory of Orscamp to knight Lodewijk van Brugge, lord of Gruuthuse. Both knights received the approval of their liege, Duke Philip the Good. The ceremony took place 'at Burch van Brugghe'.
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