Our history
Brewing, a family affair for more than 135 years
Verhofstede Brewery is one big family story. The love of brewing is in our genes. For four generations, we have been creating pure, natural products in which you can taste passion and craftsmanship in every sip.
How a strong lady taught us to brew beer
It all began in 1885, when Stefanie De Jaegher, after the death of her husband, bought the brewery, formerly a distillery. Not much later, she remarried Julien Verhofstede and together they continued to brew the Verhofstede family story. They were successful, because the village soon fell in love with the particularly rich flavour of their brews.
Eugène Verhofstede founded our brewery.
In the 1920s, Eugène Verhofstede took over the business from his parents. He remained loyal to the tradition and expanded the range steadily. He supplied the beer merchants and pubs with beer with his horse and cart. Business was so good that, in 1944, he erected a brand-new brewery building, designed by architect Renaat Braem and which to this day remains the heart and soul of our company.
The first jenever sees the light of day
In the sixties, at a time when many breweries were shutting down, we were taking a different tack: that of jenever. Along with his brother Christiaan, Stefaan Verhofstede was now in charge. As a qualified biochemist, the latter began to experiment with spirits. In 1961, this resulted in our hop jenever, after which numerous recipes followed.
The fourth generation was looking to the future with ambition
The future of the distillery continued steadily as the 4th generation took the helm. The mood for renewal reached its peak in 2021. The building designed by Renaat Braem, was renovated into a place full of character. The distillery, steeped in a rich history, is more ready for the future than ever before.
What we stand for
We are committed to people and the environment
Nature is our great source of inspiration, as are the people around us. That’s why we want to give something back.
Do you have any empty bottles? Don’t throw them away – bring them to our brewery instead. We’ll grind them into new glasses which we’ll then sell for charity!
