Brasserie d'Achouffe

Brasserie d’Achouffe grew from a hobby pursued by brothers-in-law Pierre Gobron and Chris Bauweraerts in the tiny Ardennes hamlet of Achouffe. Working with limited funds and home-built equipment in the garage of Chris's mother-in-law, they produced their first La Chouffe on 27 August 1982.

The experiment did rather well. In 1986 they bought the farm where they had been brewing and turned their hobby into a full-time business. A new brewhouse followed in 1992, increasing capacity from 22 to 70 hectolitres per batch. By then La Chouffe had been joined by the darker Mc Chouffe, although both were still sold only in 75cl bottles and 20-litre kegs; remarkably, the familiar 33cl Chouffe bottle did not appear until 2009.

The brewery joined the Duvel Moortgat group in 2006, giving it greater scope to grow while brewing remained rooted in Achouffe. The range has since expanded considerably: Houblon Chouffe arrived in 2006 and became Chouffe IPA in 2025, while later additions have included Cherry Chouffe, alcohol-free La Chouffe and Chouffe Lite.

Yet despite becoming part of an international brewing group, Chouffe is still brewed here in the tiny hamlet where the story began. Marcel the gnome remains equally difficult to dislodge, appearing across labels, glasses and brewery imagery. Gnome really is where the heart is.

Address: Brasserie d’Achouffe, Achouffe 8, 6666 Wibrin–Achouffe

Tel: 061 230443