Westmalle Adds Candi Sugar To Its Dubbel

In 1922, Westmalle began using a dark caramelized sugar syrup, also known as candi sugar, in its Dubbel. The addition made the beer stronger without making its body heavy, giving Westmalle’s strong dark Trappist beer greater drinkability while preserving the rich malt, dark-fruit, and caramel-like character associated with Belgian Dubbel. This change came shortly after World War I and after Belgium’s 1919 Vandervelde Law restricted the sale of spirits in bars and other public places. Beer-history sources connect that legal and cultural context with increased demand for stronger beers, while modern style guidelines describe Belgian Dubbel as a style in which caramelized sugar syrup or unrefined sugars often provide much of the beer’s complexity. Westmalle’s 1922 use of candi sugar became one of the defining technical steps in the modern development of Dubbel.