Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle

Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle operates within the Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Westmalle. The monastery was founded in 1794 by Trappist monks fleeing the French Revolution, while brewing began within the abbey walls in 1836. Brother Bonaventura Hermans, assisted by Brother Alberic Kemps, established the brewery, and the monks tasted their first beer on 10 December that year.

For decades the beer was principally brewed for the community itself. Occasional sales at the abbey gate began in 1856, but it was not until 1921 that Westmalle started selling through beer merchants. What followed would have an extraordinary influence on Belgian brewing. In 1926 the monks developed their dark beer into a stronger version using roughly twice the ingredients, creating the Westmalle Dubbel known today. A new golden beer was brewed in 1934 to mark the opening of a new brewhouse: Westmalle Tripel, regarded as the first Tripel and the beer that gave its name to an entire style.

The present range comprises Extra, Dubbel and Tripel. Extra has roots in the lighter beer traditionally brewed for the monks' own table, while Dubbel and Tripel have become reference points far beyond the abbey walls. All three are brewed at Westmalle under monastic supervision and carry the Authentic Trappist Product mark. The monks determine brewery policy, with income supporting the community and brewery and surplus profits going to other Cistercian communities and charitable causes.

The brewery remains a working part of monastic life rather than a conventional visitor attraction. It now opens its doors during annual Open Brewery Days in September, but otherwise stays private. For the other 363 days of the year, Café Trappisten across the road provides a considerably easier way to investigate the monks' work.

Address: Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle, Antwerpsesteenweg 496, 2390 Malle

Tel: 03 3129222