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THE BREWERY
A bold dichotomy of high-fermentation and approachability puts Brouwerij Van Steenberge in a class of its own.
Many beer connoisseurs who claim to have cut their teeth on Belgian Beer often mention Piraat and Gulden Draak in the same breath. As if that reputation is not enough their Flemish Red-Brown Ale, Monks Cafe (a recipe that dates to their founding in the late 18th century), was one of the first widely accepted sour beers in the outside of Belgium. The unique flavours of the Van Steenberge yeast strain are undeniable and make their beers truly irreplicable.
1784
Like many others of its kind, this brewery originated from a ploughland farm, that was also engaged in brewing beer for its own consumption. The first time this brewery was mentioned on paper was in 1784 under the name of “Brouwerij De Peer”. It is very likely however, that there had been a brewery long before that time but that the farmer, John Baptist De Bruin, a native of the village ‘St. Kruis Winkel’ which is located not too far from the brewery, did not leave any written documents behind until that point in time.
1876
Gradually, brewing became the farm’s main pursuit and eventually all agricultural activities were abandoned between the two World Wars. After John Baptist’s death, his widow, Angelina Petronella Schelfout, continued the business. From 1876 onwards, her nephew Jozef Schelfout gave her a helping hand. The brewery was extended with a malting house and a hops field. Indeed, many inhabitants of Ertvelde, the village where the brewery is located, can remember the two-acres field that belonged to the brewery.
1910
Jozef Schelfout’s daughter, Magaretha, married Paul van Steenberge, who became mayor of Ertvelde and even Senator in the Belgian Parliament. It was Paul, who eventually changed the brewery’s name into “Brouwerij Bios”, Bios meaning life. The beer in stock was labelled “Bios”: it was a mixture of young beer weakened with a two-year-old brew. This style of beer today is called: old Brown. The brewer named the beer “Vlaamse Bourgogne” (Flemish Burgundy), a proper name for such fine quality beer.
1950
To comply with changes in common taste, bottom fermentation was introduced. A new brand was born: “Leute Bock”, (Leute = Joy) but a commercial name seemed more suitable, and it became SPARTA PILS. The feasibility of this rather expensive switch to lager, depended entirely on the enormous success of the Flemish Burgundy that paid for the investment: better cooling, new lagering tanks in aluminium. On top of that, the old-fashioned barrels were to be replaced by glass bottles!

After WW I, the brewery started the production of lemonade. Mr. Jozef Van Steenberge (son of Paul and brewer till 1990) shepherded his business through the crisis of WW II. A war that unfortunately meant the end of hundreds of Flemish village breweries.
1978
Due to the prospering of regional beers, the brewery experienced a tremendous uplift. In 1978, the brewery was able to get hold of the recipe and yeasts from the Augustiner monks in Ghent, who decided to stop brewing and license the beer out to the Van Steenberge brewery. Our brew-engineer at that time, Mr. De Vroe, refined the AUGUSTIJN ale, and turned it into the showpiece of Brouwerij Van Steenberge. Today, this beer and other special artisanal beers like the Gulden Draak, Piraat, Bornem and Baptist, all top fermentation, make the brewery grow continuously. And with the recent release of Fourchette, an outstanding blend, that was borne from the partnership of the brew-master and three top chefs – Van Steenberge has a range like no other brewery in the region.
1990
In 1990, Mr. Paul Van Steenberge (Joseph’s son) took over the mash staff and the brewery. Enormous investments allowed the brewery to follow the technological evolution closely. By the end of 1992, this resulted in the installation of a completely computerized and automated brewery: a real masterpiece. The first in Belgium at that time.
Today
Where is the brewery today? Last year we produced about 35,000 barrels (50,000 HL) of beer with 31 people. Most of the production is sold in Belgium, but increased exposure through growing popularity, has meant that recent exporting has taken the brewery’s beers all over the world. The top export market is Italy, followed by Holland and the USA. Now Belgian Beers Australia is supplying all of Brouwerij Van Steenberge’s range to Australia and New Zealand. The mission of the brewery is to brew an exceptional world class beer product, and to stay independent.