Brasserie Ellezelloise

Brasserie Ellezelloise is a Belgian craft brewery based in the village of Ellezelles in Hainaut province, in the Pays des Collines, or hill country, of Wallonia. The brewery is associated particularly with the Quintine range, a group of strong Belgian ales whose name refers to Quintine, a supposed witch connected with local folklore. Its beers are marketed in relation to the surrounding landscape through the expression “Bières des collines,” meaning “Beers of the hills.” The brewery was established in 1993 by brewmaster Phillipe Gérard at a small farm in Ellezelles. The first mash of Quintine was produced on 15 July of that year, providing the foundation for the brewery’s identity and product portfolio. Rather than presenting itself as a large industrial producer, the brewery developed around regional brewing, strong specialty ales, and a connection with Walloon heritage. Its beers were listed as “Belgian Beer of Wallonia,” a protected designation promoted by the Walloon Agency for the Promotion of Quality in Agriculture, known as APAQ-W. The documented range includes five beers. Quintine Blond is an 8% ABV blond ale that undergoes bottle refermentation. Quintine Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 8.5% ABV and is made with caramel malt. Saison 2000 is a pale ale at 6.5% ABV, while Blanche des Saisis is a 6.2% ABV white beer. Hercule is a substantially stronger stout at 9% ABV. Together, these beers cover several recognizable Belgian specialty-beer styles while retaining the brewery’s emphasis on robust alcohol levels, bottle conditioning, and regional naming. A major ownership and identity change occurred in December 2006, when Brasserie des Géants acquired the Ellezelloise brewery. Following the acquisition, the operation was renamed Legende brewery, while the two production sites were maintained. This created a relationship between the original Ellezelles brewery and the Géants brewing business without erasing the historical importance of the Ellezelloise site or the Quintine name. The available reference material does not establish the brewery’s current ownership structure, production volume, distribution footprint, or present operating status in detail. It does, however, document the brewery as a regional Belgian producer whose principal distinction comes from its location, Walloon identity, and portfolio of strongly flavored specialty beers.

Brasserie Ellezelloise was founded in 1993 at a small farm in Ellezelles, a village in Hainaut province, Belgium. Its founder and brewmaster was Phillipe Gérard. The brewery’s first documented brew was the initial mash of Quintine, made on 15 July 1993. Quintine takes its name from a supposed witch associated with Ellezelles, giving the brewery a distinctive link to local folklore as well as to the cultural identity of the Pays des Collines. From its beginning, the brewery developed as a regional craft producer rather than as a broad-based industrial brand. Its beers were connected with the surrounding hill country through the designation “Bières des collines,” or “Beers of the hills.” The portfolio centered on Belgian specialty beers with relatively high alcohol contents and, in the case of Quintine Blond, bottle refermentation. The documented range included Quintine Blond, Quintine Pale Ale, Saison 2000, Blanche des Saisis, and Hercule. These beers represented a mixture of blond ale, pale ale, saison-related pale beer, white beer, and stout styles. The brewery’s products were listed as “Belgian Beer of Wallonia,” a protected designation granted through the Walloon Agency for the Promotion of Quality in Agriculture, or APAQ-W. This designation placed the brewery within a wider effort to identify and promote quality agricultural and food products from Wallonia. The brewery’s regional location, local references, and specialty-beer range were therefore important parts of its public identity. In December 2006, Brasserie des Géants acquired the Ellezelloise brewery. After the acquisition, the brewery was renamed Legende brewery. The available account states that both production sites were maintained, indicating that the transaction did not simply eliminate the Ellezelles facility. Instead, the acquisition brought the brewery into the orbit of Brasserie des Géants while preserving a separate production location and the historical continuity of the site. The supplied reference material does not provide a detailed account of later management, production capacity, export activity, financial performance, or the exact current relationship between the Ellezelloise name and the Legende identity. Accordingly, the brewery is best documented as a historically established Belgian regional craft brewery whose key milestones are its 1993 founding, the launch of Quintine, its Walloon regional positioning, and its 2006 acquisition and renaming under Brasserie des Géants.

• 2006

  Acquisition by Brasserie des Géants

  [1]Brasserie Ellezelloiseen.wikipedia.org

  In December 2006, Brasserie des Géants acquired the brewery, renamed it Legende brewery, and maintained both production sites.

• 1993

  Brewery founded in Ellezelles

  [1]Brasserie Ellezelloiseen.wikipedia.org

  Brewmaster Phillipe Gérard opened the brewery at a small farm in Ellezelles, Hainaut province.

• 1993

  First Quintine mash

  [1]Brasserie Ellezelloiseen.wikipedia.org

  The first mash of Quintine was made on 15 July 1993. The beer’s name refers to a supposed witch associated with Ellezelles.

Regional Walloon craft brewing rooted in the Pays des Collines, local folklore, Belgian specialty-beer traditions, and bottle-refermented or high-strength ales.

• Blond ale

  The Quintine Blond

  An 8% ABV blond specialty beer and one of the brewery’s principal Quintine offerings. It is refermented in the bottle, a process associated with Belgian specialty brewing and continued conditioning after packaging.

• Pale ale

  The Quintine Pale Ale

  A strong pale ale with an alcohol content of 8.5% ABV. The recipe is described as using caramel malt, giving the beer a distinct malt-oriented identity within the Quintine range.

• Pale ale · 2000

  Saison 2000

  A 6.5% ABV pale ale whose name evokes the saison tradition and the year 2000. It forms part of the brewery’s broader selection of Belgian-style specialty beers.

• White beer

  Blanche des Saisis

  A white beer with an alcohol content of 6.2% ABV. It broadens the brewery’s range beyond strong blond and pale ales into a lighter-colored Belgian beer style.

• Stout

  Hercule

  A strong stout listed at 9% ABV. Hercule provides the darkest and strongest style in the documented Ellezelloise portfolio.

• 2006

  Acquisition and renaming under Brasserie des GéantsM&A

  Background

  Brasserie des Géants acquired Brasserie Ellezelloise in December 2006.

  Action taken

  The acquired brewery was renamed Legende brewery, while the two production sites were retained.

  Aftermath

  The transaction connected the Ellezelles operation with Brasserie des Géants while preserving the documented production-site structure.

  Source

1. 1Brasserie Ellezelloiseen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Brasserie Ellezelloise official websitebrasserie-ellezelloise.be