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.
Chronological milestones
Sources and further references are available on each individual event page.
1070
Abbey d'Orval Is Founded
1132
Orval Becomes A Cistercian Abbey
January 6, 1395
Bruges Brewers Arrange a Chapel Dedicated to St. Arnold
16th century
Menen Flourishes as a Flemish Brewing Center
1545
The Roman Family’s Brewing Tradition Begins in Mater
1628
Brewing At Abbaye d'Orval Starts
1787
Lambic Is Documented as “Alembic”
1821
Rodenbach Brewery Is Founded in Roeselare
1829
Gueuze Appears in the Written Record
1836
Westmalle Monks Start To Brew
1844
The Future Brasserie Dupont Begins Brewing Saison at Its Farm-Brewery
1856
The First Dubbel In History?
1856
Westmalle Starts To Sell Beer At The Abbey Gate
1862
Chimay Starts Brewing At Scourmont Abbey
1864
The 3 Fonteinen Tradition Begins in Beersel
1882
Henri Vandervelden Establishes the Brewery Later Known as Oud Beersel
1899
Rochefort Re-Establishes Its Trappist Brewery
1900
Cantillon Is Founded in Brussels
1905
A National Brewing Competition Gives Rise to Spéciale Belge
August 29, 1919
The Vandervelde Law Restricts Belgian Alcohol Sales
1921
Westmalle Beer Enters The General Marketplace
1921
Kufferath and Van Laer Isolate Brettanomyces from Lambic
1922
Westmalle Adds Candi Sugar To Its Dubbel
1923
Moortgat Launches Duvel
1926
Stella Artois Is Introduced in Leuven
1926
Abbaye d'Orval Is Rebuilt
May 1928
Alken Launches Cristal Pils
1932
Brewing Starts Again At Orval
1934
Birth Of The Westmalle Tripel
1934
Evarist Deconinck Takes Over The Mont Des Cats Cheese Factory
1946
St. Bernardus Begins Brewing Westvleteren Under License
1952
Leffe Revives Abbey Beer Through Commercial Brewing
1957
Traditional Witbier Brewing Disappears from Hoegaarden
1960s
Duvel Introduces Its Distinctive Tulip Glass
1966
Pierre Celis Revives Hoegaarden Witbier
1978
Brussels Gueuze Museum Opens at Cantillon
1980
De Dolle Brouwers Produces Its First Oerbier
1982
Armand Debelder Takes Charge of 3 Fonteinen’s Gueuze Blendery
August 27, 1982
Brasserie d’Achouffe Brews the First La Chouffe
1983
Paul Vanneste Establishes De Gouden Boom in Bruges
December 28, 1983
Belgium Repeals the Vandervelde Law
1991
Westmalle Renovates Its Brewery
1991
KU Leuven Re-establishes a Center for Malting and Brewing Science
1992
St. Bernardus Becomes Its Own Beer Brand
1996
Tripel Karmeliet Is Launched by Bosteels
1997
HORAL Is Founded to Defend Traditional Lambic
October 19, 1997
The First Toer de Geuze Is Held
November 21, 1997
Traditional Lambic and Gueuze Terms Receive European Protection
1998
Belgian Beer Weekend Begins in Brussels
2002
Oud Beersel Closes
2004
De Gouden Boom Moves Beer Production from Bruges to Steenhuffel
March 6, 2004
The First Zythos BierFestival Is Held
August 27, 2004
Interbrew and AmBev Combine to Create InBev
November 2005
Gert Christiaens and Roland De Bus Revive Oud Beersel
2007
De Dochter van de Korenaar Is Founded in Baarle-Hertog
2012
St. Bernardus Launches Tokyo for Its Tokyo Café
November 30, 2016
UNESCO Recognizes Beer Culture in Belgium
January 2021
Achel Loses The Authentic Trappist Product Label