In Belgium, beer was already produced in the Roman era, as evidenced by the excavation of a brewery and malthouse from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD at Ronchinne. Monasteries played only a small role in beer production and mostly brewed for their own consumption and that of their guests. Monastic brewing would only receive some renown strong beer name the late 19th century onwards, when the trappists of Chimay produced a brown beer that was commercially available. In 1885, a change in legislation made brewing of German-style bottom-fermenting beers viable in Belgium, and it was only from then that large industrial-scale brewing in Belgium took off.
During the 20th century the number of breweries in Belgium declined from 3223 breweries in 1900 to only 106 breweries in 1993. In Belgium, four types of fermentation methods are used for the brewing of beer, which is unique in the world. Belgian beers have a range of colours, brewing methods, and alcohol levels. Beers brewed in Trappist monasteries are termed Trappist beers.
For a beer to qualify for Trappist certification, the brewery must be in a monastery, the monks must play a role in its production and the policies and the profits from the sale must be used to support the monastery or social programs outside. Orval sells a “unique” dry-hopped 6. After introduction of an official Trappist beer designation by the International Trappist Association in 1997, it came to mean products similar in style or presentation to monastic beers. What connoisseurs now recognize as Trappist breweries began operations in 1838. Abbaye de Cambron, brewed in Silly by Brasserie de Silly. Abbaye de Bonne Espérance, previously brewed by Lefebvre Brewery, since 2015 more locally by La Binchoise.
Abbaye de Saint-Martin, historically referenced to 1096, is brewed near Tournai by Brasserie Brunehaut. Affligem, produced for Affligem Abbey by a Heineken-owned brewery. Floreffe is brewed to fund a school housed in a former monastery. Grimbergen, made by the large Alken Maes brewery for an extant Norbertine abbey. Keizersberg is brewed in Oost-Vlaanderen by Brouwerij Van Steenberge. Leffe, the Abbey brand of Stella Artois, itself part of the multinational Inbev corporation, is brewed under licence from an extant brewery. It is thought to be the first such arrangement.
Maredsous, the Abbey brand of Duvel Moortgat, Belgium’s second largest brewer, licensed from Maredsous Abbey. Ramée is brewed in Purnode by Brasserie du Bocq. Feuillien is a small independent brewery. Abbaye des Rocs, made by a farmers’ co-operative and named after a local ruined abbey.
Kasteelbier, monastic style beers brewed in a castle. Tripel Karmeliet, with a three-grain recipe, is produced by Bosteels Brewery, who also make Pauwel Kwak. This style makes up the bulk of beer production and consumption in Belgium. Belgian Pilsners are not particularly distinctive or renowned by connoisseurs.
Belgium, was the basis of the “fluitjesbier” distributed during the German occupation in WWII and under rationing. This “fluitjesbier” was watered down to about 0. Bock is a strong lager of German origin, and the Netherlands. Some Belgian brewers have produced bock-style beers what makes it a style applicable to Belgium. This type of beer, commonly called witbier in Dutch, bière blanche in French and wheat beer in English, originated in the Flemish part of Belgium in the Middle Ages.