Alken Launches Cristal Pils

In May 1928, the brewery in Alken, Limburg, launched Cristal Pils. The new bottom-fermented beer entered a Belgian market in which lager brewing was spreading alongside established top-fermented traditions. The brewery made pilsner central to its identity at a time when many Belgian brewers still lacked the facilities to produce bottom-fermented beer. Cristal became closely identified with Alken and the surrounding Limburg region. It grew into one of the region’s best-known pilsners, with distribution extending beyond Limburg.