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Ypres and the Westhoek are known for cozy enjoyment.
Ideal for this are the regional beers of the Westhoek. Ypres has a rich beer history that can still be found in the city today.
The Merghelynck fund of 1649 mentions 29 breweries and distilleries and about 50 inns.
In the rue de Lille, the Froidure brewery had been in business since the 14th century in the Templar Stone. In the following centuries, the number of inns increased to 112 while the number of breweries decreased to 16. Of the 14 breweries in 1914, only 5 breweries restarted after the war. With war reparations from several breweries, the Brasserie Centrale Yproise was established in 1922. This became the Ypersche Centrale brewery in 1941 and Brewery Roberg in 1960. Brasserie La Cour de Bruxelles in Diksmuidestraat became Brewery Vermeulen in 1836. The last Ypres brewery closed its doors in November 1976.
Adriaensen Brewery
De Kazematten Brewery
Kazemats Brewery
Wooden Horse 1
8900 Ypres
In 2013, Brewery Kazematten was established in the casemates of the Wooden Horse.
This gave Ypres a city brewery again after 37 years. In 2021, a new direction was taken with an improved offer and new beers.
Several of De Kazematten's beers have already won prizes at international competitions.
It is possible to visit the brewery.
Leroy Breweries
Leroy Breweries - site Boezinge
Diksmuidseweg 404
8904 Boezinge
The history of this brewery is closely linked to the lock complex, the Boezinge lock where the brewery was founded in 1572. In 1839 the brewery came into the possession of the Leroy family, but in 1915 the lock complex and the brewery were destroyed.
After the war, a new lock and, in the center of the village, a new brewery were built in Boezinge and were operational from 1924. In 1961, Karel Leroy succeeded his father Silvère, and when he died suddenly in 1988, his wife Alice Desplenter and sons Hendrik and Philip Leroy continued his work.
Meanwhile, with Karel Leroy, the 11th generation of brewers has taken over and Brouwerij Het Sas was renamed Leroy Breweries together with Brouwerij Van Eecke from Watou.
You can visit the brewery with a group. Contact the brewery for this.
Vermeulen Brewery
##photo-pull_right-751## The brewery was founded in 1836 by Polydore Vermeulen. The main beer brewed at the brewery was the Ypra beer. The last brewer was Charles Vermeulen, who still brewed in the city center until 1976.
Then production moved to Vander Ghinste brewery.
In 2023, Ypra beer was relaunched by Omer Jean Vander Ghinste and Edouard Vermeulen. Two cousins also connected in their brewing family.
Ypra carries the predicate "unyieldingly delicious," as a nod to the many challenges that have crossed the path of Vermeulen Brewery over the years. The Vermeulen family's intransigence is evidenced by the story of the mill next to Elverdinge Castle. The mill was owned by Brewery Vermeulen and supplied the ground grain necessary for the production of beer. The adjacent castle park belonged to Count d'Ennetières. The latter was eager to buy the land on which the mill stood in 1850. However, the Vermeulen family declined his offer, after which the count planted dozens of poplars on his land to take the wind away from the mill sails. However, the brewer-miller responded wisely by making the mill higher. As the poplars continued to grow, the Vermeulen family outsmarted the count again by removing the sails in 1909 and driving the mill mechanically from then on.
"For two years, our brewers experimented, tasted and fine-tuned to create a new blonde and hoppy beer with a perfect balance of flavor. They took inspiration from the original Ypra: a high-fermentation beer based on the English ale tradition."
Characteristics of Ypra:
- Type: hoppy, high fermentation blonde beer with refermentation in the bottle
- Taste: smooth, fresh, fruity and slightly bitter
- Odor: berries, citrus, orange and grapefruit
- Appearance: golden yellow, thin white head
- Alcohol volume: 6.0%
- Pouring temperature: 4°C
- In cask (20 liters) or in bottle (33 cl)
Breweries in the Westhoek
There are many more breweries to discover in the Westhoek.
You can find the overview on the website of Tourism Westhoek.
In 2022, Westtoer also published an interesting beer guide.
Ambassador of the beer experience was chocolatier Dominique Persoone.
