Pintjes: volume 2 of best-selling zine celebrating Brussels’ best cafés launches

Volume 2 of Pintjes, by renowned Brussels-based illustrator Selkies and award-winning writer Eoghan Walsh, launches on 28 May at GIST. Celebrating what makes Brussels’ best cafés and bars both iconic and beloved of the city’s residents, Pintjes launches its second edition on Wednesday 28 May at GIST in Brussels. The zine is a collaboration between renowned Brussels-based illustrator Selkies, who has worked with Irish musicians Kneecap, and writer Eoghan Walsh, author of the award-winning book “A History of Brussels Beer in 50 Objects”. The first edition of Pintjes sold out within one hour at its launch in December 2024. Each limited edition print run focuses on a neighbourhood or district in Brussels with a high concentration of iconic, interesting, or just downright eccentric cafés - celebrating what makes them such a unique and essential part of Brussels’ fabric in word and image. For Vol.2, Eoghan and Selkies have focused on a relatively new arrival on the Brussels bar scene - outdoor cafés. From guinguettes to buvettes, pavilions, and park bars - Pintjes Vol.2 will celebrate the joys of drinking outdoors. Pintjes Vol.2 will showcase their favourites across the city - from Kiosk Radio’s countercultural cool to the echoes of Expo ‘58 at Guinguette André and the old school charm of the Buvette Saint Sebastiaan. Launch PartyPintjes Vol.2 will be released at a launch party at GIST (Pl. de la Vieille Halle aux Blés 30, 1000 Bruxelles) on Wednesday 28 May, alongside the sale of a very limited number of exclusive prints based on the illustrations from this first edition. The zine will be produced in extremely limited quantities - and when it’s gone, it’s gone. Quotes“The winter is so long and grey in Brussels, it feels like you spend half the year dreaming about Guinguette season, so the first summer edition of the zine could only really be about one thing - those long awaited pints in parks,” Selkies says. “And when it comes to print, I love making the zine myself, I think a hands-on, in-print approach just makes sense when we're talking about the real in-person experience of these cafés and bars in Brussels. I think the subject matter calls for something real that you hold in your hands. It's the same reason Pintjes is only available in person at the launch party, like a lovely little pint or a neighbourhood café - once it's gone it's gone.”“Zines and Brussels cafés have something in common - the best ones are rough and ready, with the clear imprint of the love and attention of their owners,” Eoghan says. “With Pintjes Vol.1 we retreated indoors for the winter to our favourite dark and cosy pubs. For the summer we’re breaking outdoors, celebrating the best park bars of the city. Brusselaars have always loved drinking outdoors - just look at the terraces whenever the sun comes out. So as Guinguette season gets underway, Pintjes Vol.2 is the perfect accompaniment to a cold Spritz on a hot day in your favourite park bar.”Notes for the Editor

• Selkies is an illustrator from Dublin now living in Brussels. Her work is often about nostalgia, sometimes for her roots back in Ireland and sometimes for the remnants of old Brussels on her doorstep. She has worked with football clubs, music festivals, and musicians. Pintjes is her first self-published zine, and her work is for sale here: selkiesstudio.com

• Eoghan Walsh is the award-winning Brussels-based writer of the “Brussels Notes” newsletter. He has written for The Irish Times, Pellicle, Le Fooding, Guzzle, and others. Founder of the Brussels Beer City blog, Eoghan’s most recent book - “A History of Brussels Beer in 50 Objects” - was published in July 2022.

• Press kit - illustrations

Contact: Eoghan Walsh, +32485399443

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