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BEER

CHRONICLES

A Beer History Storyline

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Beer History Storyline

Belgian Beer: Trappists, Lambic, and Beyond

Discover saison, witbier, strong golden ale, Spéciale Belge, influential secular breweries, and Belgium’s wider culture of beer diversity.

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Chronological milestones

Sources and further references are available on each individual event page.

  1. 1070

    Abbey d'Orval Is Founded

  2. 1132

    Orval Becomes A Cistercian Abbey

  3. 1628

    Brewing At Abbaye d'Orval Starts

  4. 1787

    Lambic Is Documented as “Alembic”

  5. 1821

    Rodenbach Brewery Is Founded in Roeselare

  6. 1829

    Gueuze Appears in the Written Record

  7. 1836

    Westmalle Monks Start To Brew

  8. 1844

    The Future Brasserie Dupont Begins Brewing Saison at Its Farm-Brewery

  9. 1856

    The First Dubbel In History?

  10. 1856

    Westmalle Starts To Sell Beer At The Abbey Gate

  11. 1862

    Chimay Starts Brewing At Scourmont Abbey

  12. 1864

    The 3 Fonteinen Tradition Begins in Beersel

  13. 1882

    Henri Vandervelden Establishes the Brewery Later Known as Oud Beersel

  14. 1899

    Rochefort Re-Establishes Its Trappist Brewery

  15. 1900

    Cantillon Is Founded in Brussels

  16. 1905

    A National Brewing Competition Gives Rise to Spéciale Belge

  17. August 29, 1919

    The Vandervelde Law Restricts Belgian Alcohol Sales

  18. 1921

    Westmalle Beer Enters The General Marketplace

  19. 1921

    Kufferath and Van Laer Isolate Brettanomyces from Lambic

  20. 1922

    Westmalle Adds Candi Sugar To Its Dubbel

  21. 1923

    Moortgat Launches Duvel

  22. 1926

    Stella Artois Is Introduced in Leuven

  23. 1926

    Abbaye d'Orval Is Rebuilt

  24. 1932

    Brewing Starts Again At Orval

  25. 1934

    Birth Of The Westmalle Tripel

  26. 1934

    Evarist Deconinck Takes Over The Mont Des Cats Cheese Factory

  27. 1946

    St. Bernardus Begins Brewing Westvleteren Under License

  28. 1952

    Leffe Revives Abbey Beer Through Commercial Brewing

  29. 1957

    Traditional Witbier Brewing Disappears from Hoegaarden

  30. 1960s

    Duvel Introduces Its Distinctive Tulip Glass

  31. 1966

    Pierre Celis Revives Hoegaarden Witbier

  32. 1978

    Brussels Gueuze Museum Opens at Cantillon

  33. 1980

    De Dolle Brouwers Produces Its First Oerbier

  34. 1982

    Armand Debelder Takes Charge of 3 Fonteinen’s Gueuze Blendery

  35. August 27, 1982

    Brasserie d’Achouffe Brews the First La Chouffe

  36. December 28, 1983

    Belgium Repeals the Vandervelde Law

  37. 1991

    Westmalle Renovates Its Brewery

  38. 1992

    St. Bernardus Becomes Its Own Beer Brand

  39. 1996

    Tripel Karmeliet Is Launched by Bosteels

  40. 1997

    HORAL Is Founded to Defend Traditional Lambic

  41. October 19, 1997

    The First Toer de Geuze Is Held

  42. November 21, 1997

    Traditional Lambic and Gueuze Terms Receive European Protection

  43. 1998

    Belgian Beer Weekend Begins in Brussels

  44. 2002

    Oud Beersel Closes

  45. March 6, 2004

    The First Zythos BierFestival Is Held

  46. August 27, 2004

    Interbrew and AmBev Combine to Create InBev

  47. November 2005

    Gert Christiaens and Roland De Bus Revive Oud Beersel

  48. 2007

    De Dochter van de Korenaar Is Founded in Baarle-Hertog

  49. 2012

    St. Bernardus Launches Tokyo for Its Tokyo Café

  50. November 30, 2016

    UNESCO Recognizes Beer Culture in Belgium

  51. January 2021

    Achel Loses The Authentic Trappist Product Label