Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck

About

Amandus Van Honsebrouck, born in 1811, farmer and mayor of Werken, starts the first brewery around 1850 in Werken. Emile, his son, takes over and moves to Ingelmunster in 1900 and founds the St-Josef brewery. Emile’s sons, Paul and Ernest, take over and expand firmly. In 1930 they build a new malt house and a foeder room and in 1937 a new brewing room, a fermentation room, a tank room and a bottling hall. Their focus still is on the traditional low fermentation beers: bock, export and lager. Luc, the son of Paul, goes to brewery school and learns the trade as an apprentice in Germany and Wallonia. Luc takes over in 1953, changes the name in brewery Vanhonsebrouck and decides to stop brewing lager and focuses on ‘old Flemish brown’, Bacchus. In 1957 he starts with lambic and later on with Gueuze and Kriek under the name Saint Louis. Brewery Vanhonsebrouck becomes the second largest brewery of Gueuze, thanks to the shirt sponsoring of FC Bruges, European soccer finalist in 1976 and 1978. The production of Gueuze Saint Louis booms to a record in that time of 1 million kg of malt. In 1980 Luc responds to the growing demand for heavy blond beers and launches Brigand, named after the farmer’s uprising against French occupation in 1798. In 1986 the family buys Ingelmunster castle and 3 years later, the famous Kasteel(bier) is launched. It starts with ‘Donker’, than ‘Tripel’, ‘Rouge’ and ‘Blond’. In 2009, the 5th generation, Xavier Van Honsebrouck, takes over. His first achievement is the ‘Cuvée du Château’. In 2012 the high exclusive Trignac follows and in 2013 Kasteel Hoppy. In commemoration of a 100 years World War I, ‘Passchendaele’, a Belgian Top Blond, with only 5.2° alcohol is launched in 2013. A donation is offered to the community of Zonnebeke, to contribute in the preservation of its remnants of the Great War. Due to the fast growing export, the actual brewery is almost on its full capacity. A delocalisation to a brand new castle/brewery is scheduled for 2017.