A National Brewing Competition Gives Rise to Spéciale Belge

In 1905, the results of a competition intended to improve Belgian beer were presented at the international exposition in Liège. Organized by the Union of Belgian Brewers beginning in 1904, the competition encouraged brewers to develop domestic beers capable of competing with imported British ales and continental lagers. Seventy-three beers were entered across top-fermented, bottom-fermented, and spontaneously fermented categories. The first prize for bottled top-fermented beer went to Belge du Faleau, an amber beer from Brasserie Binard in Châtelineau. Its success encouraged other Belgian breweries to produce related amber ales under names including Belge, Spéciale, and Spéciale Belge. The competition therefore helped establish a distinctly Belgian family of moderately strong, top-fermented amber beers during a period of growing international competition.