As a brewery today, you have to be able to do a balancing act - the balancing act between tradition, traditional brewing skills, recipes passed down from generation to generation and innovation. Modern people's taste in beer is constantly changing and has never before changed as rapidly as it does today, almost every hour. After beer consisted of only hops, malt, water and yeast for centuries, the possibilities are now almost limitless. Anything goes and as long as it tastes good. One brewery that has mastered the interplay between present and tradition perfectly is the Kasteel Brouwerij Van Honsebrouk.
The brewery, which claims to be the most modern in Europe, goes back to its founder, Amandus Vanhonsebrouk. He was the mayor of the Belgian town of Werken and, in addition to his work in the town hall, ran a dairy farm with an attached brewery and distillery. After his sudden death, his son Emile was to take over the company. He moved with all his belongings and family into his parents' house. Things went well for a while, but then disagreements between his wife and his mother increased. In 1900, they had had enough and left their parents' farm to start their own brewery. They settled in Ingelmunster, the home of Emile's wife Louise, and opened the Sint Jozef brewery. Because Emile turned out to be a bad brewery manager, Louise took over the reins and, after finishing her work, passed the company on to two of her sons. The brothers expanded the brewery's economic success and its premises several times and led the company unscathed through the Second World War. Luc Vanhonsebrouk represented the third generation of his family and gave the brewery its current name. He focused on Bacchus, Gueuze and Kriek, thereby setting the brewery apart from the competition. With this step, Van Honsebrouk secured a place for itself on the global beer market.
The next generation of the family is now at the helm. Xavier is continuing his family's legacy and in 2016 made the decision to close the brewery in Ingelmunster. Before moving to the new halls, the businessman had to invest 40 million euros and spend two years building. The reward for his financial investment and patience is the most modern brewery in Europe. From now on, Van Honsebrouk produces according to sustainable principles and works every day to reduce its own ecological footprint. The range consists of a finely curated selection of aromatic specialty beers, ranging from juicy fruit beers to strong-character sour beers to Belgian classics .
Brewery Van Honsebrouck
Ingelmunstersestraat 46
B-8870 Emelgem (Izegem)
Belgien 
