History of Beer in Belgium

Though its origins lay in the Middle East 10,000 years ago, it was the Romans who introduced the art of beer making to Western Europe. Its success spread quickly, and from the 5th century on, monks held a monopoly on brewing, supplying innkeepers and nobility with beer.

During the Middle Ages, power shifted towards the guilds, which stimulated the rise of breweries, gradually turning beer into a popular drink. The number of breweries increased dramatically over the years and beer became a cultural staple—as can be seen in many paintings by 16th-century painter Pieter Bruegel.

At the end of the 18th century, the aftermath of the French Revolution caused a serious decline. Many monasteries and their breweries, such as the abbey in Orval, were destroyed, a blow from which they recovered only slowly. Better times for beer were ushered in at the end of the 19th century; inventions by Louis Pasteur guaranteed better conservation and increased its overall quality. By 1900 there were over 3,000 breweries in Belgium. Unfortunately, just after this peak, the Great War, the economic crisis of the 1930s, the Second World War, and the growing popularity of other alcoholic beverages from the 1950s combined to weaken the industries. There were 755 breweries left in 1946, and now there are only about 100.

The market has forced many Belgian breweries to merge, creating internationally successful conglomerates such as Inbev, which owns Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, and now also Anheuser-Busch, among others. On the other hand, small breweries and local brands have recently emerged in every corner of the country. Although the consumption of beer as a whole may be on the decline, the production of these special regional beers is on the rise.