Brouwerij St Bernardus
Brewery
About this Brewery
Place: Watou
Brouwerij St.Bernardus is an independent brewery in Watou, West Flanders. It began in 1946 when Evariste Deconinck, then a local cheesemaker, was invited by the Trappist monks of nearby Westvleteren to brew and market their beers under licence. The Westvleteren brewmaster Mathieu Szafranski brought the recipes, brewing knowledge and the original St Sixtus yeast to Watou. This arrangement continued until 1992, when the Trappist breweries agreed that the “Authentic Trappist Beer” designation could apply only to beer brewed within an abbey’s walls. St.Bernardus therefore continued independently under its own name. "St.Bernardus Abt 12", its celebrated dark quadrupel, remains the brewery’s most famous beer; the range also includes Prior 8, Tripel, Extra 4 and Wit.
Address: Brouwerij St.Bernard NV, Trappistenweg 23, 8978 Watou
tel: 057 388021
Glasses in this collection
Curator's Note
The Brewery, tour, restaurant/bar and shop are an impressive, modern complex on the edge of Watou. Public transport is available, but visiting by car makes life a little easier - though lots of visitors were clearly arriving on their bikes.
When we visited in May 2026, our dog was initially left outside with my partner while I visited the shop, until the staff spotted this arrangement and promptly invited them both inside. Dogs aren't allowed on the brewery tour, however!