Brouwerij De Brabandere

Belgium

"Brouwerij De Brabandere is still 100% family owned, 100% independent."

Brouwerij Bavik or Brouwerij De Brabandere? 

Just in time before the snow started to fall we arrived in Bavikhove for a visit to Belgian brewery Brouwerij De Brabandere. We met up with Albert De Brabandere, the fifth generation that took over the family run business in 2013. The brewery was founded in 1894 by farmer Adolphe De Brabandere and had some name changes over the years. When Jozef took over the brewery in the beginning of the 20th century things really took off and he changed the name into Saint Anthony.

Obviously business quieted down during the First and Second World War. Not long after the end of World War II Jozef’s son Albert gave the business another boost again and reverted the name back to Brouwerij De Brabandere. But you guessed it, when Albert’s two sons, Ignace and Vincent took over the reins in the 1970’s they changed the name again.

For over four decades its was Brouwerij Bavik that gained popularity and so did their beers. Albert is now the fifth generation to run the business. He took over in 2013 and it won’t be a surprise anymore… he changed the name back to the original, Brouwerij De Brabandere.

Beers of Brouwerij De Brabandere

While for a long time mainly producing amber beers, a pils was introduced to the range of beers in the 1970’s. As Albert explains, Bavik Super Pils is made by using aroma hops only and although the beer is clear, it doesn’t get pasteurized. It sits in a cold storage for thirty days, time is an essential factor in producing this quality beer. And it must be said, we never tasted a pils quite like it! Around the same time another beer was introduced and this range of Petrus sour beers managed to gain worldwide attention.

It was beer connoisseur Michael Jackson that persuaded Albert’s father Ignace to put the original ‘mother beer’ from the foeders on the market. Michael was also the first to sell this beer in his beer clubs and was the one to give the beer its name, Aged Pale. As the demand for Petrus Sour Beers grew so much, they eventually had to upscale the foeder hall to 36 foeders. Two other barrel aged beers in the Petrus Sour Beer series are Petrus Rood Bruin and Petrus Aged Red.

Another well known Belgian beer brand produced at De Brabandere brewery is Kwaremont, named after the steep cobbled road that is part of the cycle race Tour of Flanders. Wieze is another beer brand that goes way back in time and was acquired by De Brabandere. Some other brands are Wittekerke White and Rosé beer, Ezel (blond beer) and the recent Brewmaster’s Selection.

Visiting De Brabandere brewery

The brewery recently opened its Brouwershuys (Brewershouse) in 2019, part of the residence of brewmaster Chris and his wife Jeanine. For the first time in 125 years the brewery wil be open for visitors three days a week. Brewmaster Chris himself will give you a tour so now you can experience the dream that Adolphe De Brabandere cherished when he turned the farm into a brewery.

In the brew hall you can see for yourself how tradition and innovation go hand in hand here. A must visit for beer lovers in general and beer loving cyclists in particular as the brewery is also the sponsor of several well-known cycle races in Belgium.

Kortrijk beer culture

Brouwerij De Brabandere is located in Bavikhove not far from the city of Kortrijk, in the region of the river Leie. The area is mostly flat so excellent for hiking and biking with a large cycle route network. The city of Kortrijk is only 10 kilometers from Bavikhove and well worth a visit with its great market square, 16th century town hall, Sint-Maartens church and two fortified towers named the Broeltorens.

Explore some of the best Belgian beer bars like the Gainsbar (Vlasmarkt 1), which probably has the best and longest beer list. If you enjoy a truly authentic experience make sure you visit ’t Fonteintje (Handboogstraat 12), one of the oldest beer bars in Kortijk. Because these are local bars, they don’t even have a website. That’s why we added the addresses and their Facebookpage.