The Erquelinnes Brewery

The Brootcoorens brewery in Erquelinnes is, first and foremost, the story of a brewing enthusiast, Alain Brootcoorens, who, in the beginning, united a group of friends around producing beer and, over time, a large audience, thanks to his educational and fun-loving approach. Discover this unusual brewery and its typical vintage ambience, which you’ll never want to leave.

Who wants to visit the brewery?

The brewery isn’t large. However, it’s a lot better than the garage where Alain started brewing in 1990. This brewery has one room for brewing and another for labelling and bottling. This is not to mention the kitchen and, most importantly, the tasting room.

This place stands out because of the people: Alain and his merry band of pals share their background with beer through lots of hysterical anecdotes. In the end, that’s what you’ll really remember: a good-natured location and a moment of open camaraderie.

The first educational hop farm in Belgium

Alain didn’t stop with his educational brewery. He planted a plot of hops right in front of the brewery in 2003. Visit in August to see how high these plants can grow – it’s impressive. We’re talking four metres high.

This hop farm is also home to fruit trees and aromatic plants.

Craft brewing on your terms

There is talk here of ‘100% natural’ beers. This refers to beers that are made from barley malt, hops, yeast and water and nothing else. No sugar.

Angélus, their iconic beer, was created in 2000 in this vein.

You can create your own beer with Alain, which is known as a ‘craft beer’. You can choose the production method with help from him and taste your recipe. You can even create your own label.

Are you going to try a rosemary or basil beer?