Brouwerij Liefmans
Brewery
About this Brewery
Place: Oudenaarde
Brouwerij Liefmans is one of the historic breweries of Oudenaarde, with roots dating back to 1679. The brewery became particularly associated with the region’s brown and fruit beers, including Goudenband and Kriek-Brut, produced through long maturation and blending of younger and older beers.
A defining figure in the modern history of Liefmans was Rosa Merckx. She joined the brewery in 1946 and gradually moved from administrative work into brewing, becoming master brewer and brewery director in 1972. Liefmans regards her as the first female master brewer in Belgium and credits her with helping to refine the brewery’s distinctive beers and build their reputation far beyond Oudenaarde.
The brewery ran into financial difficulty in the early 2000s and was eventually acquired by Duvel Moortgat in 2008, which took over the Liefmans brands, recipes and brewing activities. Production remains closely associated with the historic Oudenaarde site.
Liefmans still specialises in beers built around maturation, blending and fruit, although the modern range stretches from the traditional Goudenband and Kriek-Brut to more contemporary products such as Fruitesse and Glühkriek. The old brewery buildings beside the Scheldt remain part of the story and can be visited on organised tours.
Glasses in this collection
Curator's Note
Belgian brewing has historically been a heavily male-dominated world, which makes Rosa Merckx’s career at Liefmans particularly striking. She began as a secretary, learned the craft from within the brewery, and eventually took charge of both brewing and the business. Her influence became so closely tied to Liefmans that her signature still appears on the brewery’s packaging today.