Brouwerij Biermaekers

Brouwerij Biermaekers is a beer company based in Gullegem, West Flanders, best known for the BUX range. Although it uses the language and identity of a brewery, it does not operate a single production brewery of its own in the conventional sense. Zythos classifies Biermaekers as a bierfirma — a beer company — and its beers are produced for it by other breweries.

The BUX range includes Blond, Brown, Amber, Gold, Session and Tripel, with the brand placing particular emphasis on Belgian hops. The Belgian Hops programme lists Brouwerij Biermaekers and its BUX beers among participating producers.

Production has varied by beer and over time. Festival records, for example, list BUX Blond and BUX Tripel as brewed at Brouwerij De Meester, while BUX Brown was brewed at BBF. Earlier records show Biermaekers using Brouwerij Gulden Spoor in Gullegem.

The origins of the range lie in Moorsele’s Bukske, a locally created beer first brewed in 1998 for the anniversary of the village’s sheep breeders’ association. “Bukske” is a local dialect word for a male sheep or ram. When the brand was later expanded, the name was shortened to BUX, partly because it was easier to pronounce internationally while still preserving the original link.