Van Den Bossche brewery

Van Den Bossche brewery (Brouwerij Van Den Bossche) is a Belgian family-owned brewery based in Essche-Saint-Liévin, part of the municipality of Herzele in East Flanders. Founded in 1897 by Arthur Van Den Bossche, the brewery has remained in the same family for four generations and is best known for its Pater Lieven abbey beers and Buffalo beers. The brewery draws high-quality water from an underground aquifer, a resource that has also benefited local farmers during droughts. The brewery's origins date to 1897, when Arthur Van Den Bossche purchased land in the center of Essche-Saint-Liévin in the Flemish Ardennes. The following year he built a brewery on the site. Arthur was married to a daughter of the Callebaut family of Wieze, a family that would later become famous for chocolate but was then better known in brewing circles. According to local lore, the Buffalo beer was created in 1907 by accident: a young worker left alone at the brewery while his colleagues attended a Buffalo Bill circus performance in Ghent failed to stir a brew sufficiently, letting the malt burn at the bottom of the mash tun. The result was a dark beer with a pleasant strong taste, and thus Buffalo 1907 was born — the brewery's oldest beer. After Arthur's death in 1925, his widow and later his two sons, Willy and Marc Van den Bossche, continued the business and established the limited company Van Den Bossche. In 1957, on the occasion of the festivities held every 50 years in honor of Saint Livinus, the Pater Lieven abbey beer was created. In 1975, Ignace Van Den Bossche, son of Marc, joined the company and became its director in 1981. From that point he modernized the brewery. Today the fourth generation of Van Den Bossche brewers has joined the business: Bruno Van Den Bossche, eldest son of Ignace, is responsible for commercial activities, and his younger brother Emmanuel recently became active in the brewery. The brewery's portfolio centers on two main beer lines. Pater Lieven abbey beers come in five varieties: Blond, Bruin, Tripel, Wit, and Kerstpater. Buffalo beers come in four varieties: 1907, Bitter, Belgian Stout, and Grand Cru. The brewery also produces Lamoral Degmont, a blonde triple at 8% alcohol by volume, and Livinus, a blonde beer at 5.2% alcohol by volume. The official website carries the slogan 'ONS VAKMANSCHAP ZIT SINDS 1897 IN IEDER FLESJE' (Our craftsmanship has been in every bottle since 1897), emphasizing the brewery's long family tradition and artisanal approach.

The brewery was founded in 1897 when Arthur Van Den Bossche purchased land in the center of Essche-Saint-Liévin, in the Flemish Ardennes. The following year, he built a brewery on the site. Arthur was married to a daughter of the Callebaut family of Wieze, a family that would later become famous for chocolate but was then better known in the brewing trade. According to a well-known local story, the Buffalo beer was created in 1907 by accident: a young worker left alone at the brewery while his colleagues attended a Buffalo Bill circus performance in Ghent failed to stir a brew sufficiently, allowing the malt to burn at the bottom of the mash tun. The result was a dark beer with a strong, pleasant taste, and thus Buffalo 1907 was born — the brewery's oldest beer. After Arthur's death in 1925, his widow and later his two sons, Willy and Marc Van den Bossche, continued the business and created the limited company Van Den Bossche (SPRL). In 1957, on the occasion of the festivities celebrated every 50 years in honor of Saint Livinus, the Pater Lieven abbey beer was created. In 1975, Ignace Van Den Bossche, son of Marc, joined the company and became its director in 1981. From that time he modernized the brewery. Today, the fourth generation of Van Den Bossche brewers has joined the business: Bruno Van Den Bossche, the eldest son of Ignace, is responsible for commercial activities, and Emmanuel, his younger brother, recently became active in the brewery. The brewery draws high-quality water from an underground aquifer that has also served farmers well during periods of drought. The brewery remains a family-owned Belgian enterprise, brewing primarily Pater Lieven abbey beers and Buffalo beers, along with Lamoral Degmont and Livinus.

• 1981

  Ignace Van Den Bossche becomes director and modernizes the brewery.

• 1975

  Ignace Van Den Bossche joins the company.

• 1957

  Pater Lieven abbey beer created for Saint Livinus festivities.

• 1925

  After Arthur's death, his widow and sons continue the business; SPRL Van Den Bossche created.

• 1907

  Buffalo 1907 beer created, reportedly by accident.

• 1898

  Construction of the brewery.

• 1897

  Arthur Van Den Bossche purchases land in Essche-Saint-Liévin.

Traditional Belgian family brewery specializing in abbey and regional beers, emphasizing craftsmanship since 1897.

• Pater Lieven Blond

• Pater Lieven Bruin

• Pater Lieven Tripel

• Pater Lieven Wit

• Pater Lieven Kerstpater

• Buffalo 1907

• Buffalo Bitter

• Buffalo Belgian Stout

• Buffalo Grand Cru

• Lamoral Degmont

• Livinus

1. 1Website Brouwerij Van Den Bosschebrouwerijvandenbossche.be
2. 2Van Den Bossche brewery - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Brasserie Van Den Bossche - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org