Located within the abbey, the Val-Dieu Abbey Brewery has been producing quality beer since its creation in 1997.
It started modestly, with a production capacity of 10,000 hectoliters per year, then 20,000. Three years ago, a major turning point occurred: the complete modernization of the facilities.
The True Abbey Beer
Val-Dieu exudes authenticity. Surprisingly, it is even the only one of the 25 Belgian abbey beers, with controlled appellation, to be brewed on the premises of an abbey!
“What brings our beer close to Trappist beer, with the double exception that our company is private and the community is Cistercian and not Trappist,” smiles Antoine Henry, Val-Dieu Brand Manager.
Authenticity is also found in the beverages, based on documents discovered in the archives.
“Beer was brewed at the abbey from its founding in 1216 until around 1900,” emphasizes Alain Pinckaers, co-founder and managing director of the brewery. “Like ours, it was produced by infusion and without spices. We were already on the right track. Later, we also found authentic recipes… and the ingredients matched, even if we added a touch of modernity.”
“This authenticity is also reflected in the symbol of the abbey: two intertwined rings ‘in viculo pacis’ which means ‘in the bonds of peace’ and are featured on all labels and visuals specific to our beers,” highlights Vincent Brossel, Strategic Marketing and Commercial Manager at Unibox Group.
Growing Production
“We have increased capacity to 40,000 hectoliters per year,” explains Alain Pinckaers, co-founder and managing director of the brewery.
This asset has allowed Val-Dieu, in addition to its authenticity, to grow in exports, but also to achieve increasing success in the hospitality sector and supermarkets. The brewery, a tenant of the abbey, has doubled its production in 5 years to reach 30,000 hectoliters per year, which is 3,000,000 liters, or the equivalent of 9,000,000 33cl bottles, and thus approximately 25,000 beers consumed per day!
“Blonde accounts for 40% of the volume. Exports, driven by the success of the Triple, now represent 25% of turnover and reach about twenty countries. Spain will be next,” specifies Lionel Delbart, Sales Director.
8 Beers for All Palates
The result? Beers to satisfy all tastes.
> Val-Dieu Blonde (6°): this fresh and light beer can be enjoyed on any occasion.
> Val-Dieu Brune (8°): with roasted malt, it reveals a mocha aftertaste, which will also be appreciated in your carbonnades or Liège meatballs.
> Val-Dieu Triple (9°): unparalleled for its malty character and its balance between bitterness and suave nature.
One can also taste the Grand Cru (10.5°), a powerful quadruple; La Cuvée 800 (5.5°), a dry-hopped beer; the Christmas beer (7°), amber, with a hint of white and red port. And La Fruitée (8°), combining bitterness and the freshness of morello cherry. Not to mention, L’Excellence du Val-Dieu (12°), a Val-Dieu Grand-Cru matured in old Lérins wine barrels, voted best beer in the world in 2021 in the category: oak barrel-aged flavored beer at the World Beer Awards.
A Brewery and an Abbey to Discover
The Val-Dieu Abbey, located in the heart of the Pays de Herve, is set in a splendid environment. Headed by Father Dom Vladimir, it attracts 250,000 visitors each year, for its basilica, its restaurants, the Brewery, of course, but also its park and the many walking and cycling trails in the surroundings.
Source: Sudinfo
