Hoegaarden

Hoegaarden has roots that go back as far as 1445, when monks were making the original Hoegaarden beer.

Originally a very bitter brew, the monks began experimenting with orange peel and coriander from the colony Curaçao: a divine discovery that led to the world famous Hoegaarden recipe that is enjoyed today.

Hoegaarden was the home of wheat beers in the 18th century, by 1726 Hoegaarden was home to no less than 36 breweries and 110 malt houses. Hoegaarden meant business!

The last brewery in Hoegaarden, Tomsin, closed shop in 1957. Soon after, in 1965, the villagers decided to take action to preserve the original recipe. Milkman Pierre Celis took the bull by the horns and started brewing up a batch in his milk shed, using only a copper boiler. He quickly expanded his operation and moved into a bigger building – ‘De Kluis’ (The Vault) – a subtle nod to the monks. By 1985 the nod was no longer subtle as he was making more than 75.000 hectolitres per year. Just as he was about to start exporting to the United States, a rather large fire flattened his dreams (and the beer). The brewery was destroyed.The original Belgian wheat beer could and would not be lost.

Today, 9 out of 10 wheat beers sold in Belgium are from Hoegaarden. Meanwhile, the unique flavour is being appreciated and awarded throughout Europe, North America, Australia, Singapore and China.