Brewery Sponsors

Brouwerij De Brabandere

Love for brewing is locked in the genes of the De Brabandere family. With the best master brewers at our side, generations have continued the tradition and expanded the rich assortment of beers. Over the years, we have shared this passion with our employees: they bring “life to the brewery” and life in your glass, at home or with friends. Our passion flavours your pleasant and memorable moments with friends. We are extremely proud of this. Connoisseurs taste our exceptional way of brewing in every glass. Each beer in our rich assortment provides connoisseurs and beer lovers an unparalleled taste experience. Our lagers, specialty beers, and high fermentation beers often win awards at international beer competitions. The reason our fantastic beers have been awarded numerous prizes is thanks to our motto: never compromise on taste. Cheers!

Delirium

A centuries old brewery founded in 1902, Brouwerij Huyghe is best known for their flagship Belgian tripel Delirium Tremens. A member of the Belgian Family Brewers, the brewery is under the management of its fifth generation of the founding family. They recently expanded and upgraded their brewing facility to be one of the most environmentally sustainable in Belgium and likely the world.

Brasserie Du Bocq

OVER A CENTURY AND A HALF OF TRADITION, QUALITY AND EXPERTISE It all began in 1858 when Martin Belot, farmer in Purnode, brew a beer for the first time in his farm’s outbuildings. At first, the beer was produced only in winter, the staff not being busy with field work outside of the high season. Moreover, the discovery in Purnode of a layer of water exceptional for its quality and quantity, was a great asset. The brewery offered the customers a wide range of products, from table beers to strong beers through a range of densities, colors, bitternesses and tastes. The brewer assured the distribution of his products on his own and in a relatively small radius around the Brewery. In the early twentieth century, La Gauloise, currently the oldest brand still produced at the Brewery, a brown high fermented beer was brewed for the first time. From the right beginning, this beer was an undoubted success. The Brewery was incorporated into a limited company in 1949. Independent of any Belgian or foreign brewer, it still beholds its own family nature. In 1960, the agricultural activity and the door to door deliveries of the Brewery are permanently abandoned. This is the beginning of distribution through supermarkets, drink markets and traders in beer. With the recovery of the Central Brewery Marbaix -La-Tour in 1967, the Brasserie du Bocq added two new beers to its product range: the SAISON REGAL that is currently the GAULOISE AMBREE, and whose idea gave birth in 2013 to the SAISON 1858 and the CHRISTMAS REGAL, since renamed GAULOISE CHRISTMAS. It is at this point, that the Belot family decided to direct their beer manufacturing only to the production of special high fermentation beers with secondary fermentation in the bottle. In 1983, Brasserie du Bocq abandons the exploitation of Central Brasserie Marbaix -La-Tour, to bring all the beer production back to Purnode where the production tools have been radically modernized on the basis of equity. Taking advantage of the craze for traditional beers, Brasserie du Bocq starts exporting. And it is a success. Indeed, Belgian beers have gained an excellent reputation worldwide. Brasserie du Bocq exports mainly to France, the Netherlands, Italy, Britain, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, Australia, Japan, China, Sweden, the United States Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, etc ... In seven years, the production has doubled reaching 104,000 hectoliters in 2015. With a current turnover of more than € 12.5 million, the Brasserie du Bocq is one of the largest independent breweries in Wallonia. The beers brewed and sold by Brasserie du Bocq are: BLANCHE DE NAMUR and ROSEE, GAULOISE BLOND, ALE, PALE ALE, RED BERRIES, TRIPLE 10°, DOUBLE 6° and CHRISTMAS, SAISON 1858, TRIPLE MOINE, DEUGNIET, REDBOCQ, APPLEBOCQ, to be enjoyed at all times. Today in Purnode, although the BELOT family has sold its assets to the Keersmaekers family who has been producing the CORSENDONK at the Brasserie du Bocq for over 30 years, and even though the brewery has far exceeded its regional framework, nothing has changed and the values of the company remain intact. We hope and bet that this story will go on much longer and that the beers produced at the Brasserie du Bocq will fill with life the small Condroz village that is Purnode.

Brasserie de Silly

In the 19th century, the large farms of Hainaut grew barley and hops so they could brew seasonal beers for their field workers. In Silly, a small village around 40 kilometres to the south-west of Brussels, Marcelin Hypolite Mynbrughen started up his own brewery in 1850, originally named Cense de la Tour. Marcelin produced malt from his own crop of barley to brew a beer each winter. This particular beer, the Saison Silly, was served to the seasonal workers employed by the farm over the summer. By 1900 Marcelin’s grandson Adelin was winning a silver medal at the Paris World Exhibition. At the time of the First World War, Adelin jr developed a new beer with the aid of Scottish soldiers billeted in Silly. And thus the Scotch Silly was born.

By 1947 brewing had become more important than working the fields. In those days, the Brasserie de Silly only produced top-fermented beers such as Grisette, Saison Silly and Scotch. In 1950 a pils beer, in other words a bottom-fermented beer, was introduced for distribution via the brewery’s own cafés. The brewery was taken over in 1975 by Brasserie Tennstedt Decroes from Edingen. That year also saw the introduction of the Double Enghien, based on a dark, top-fermented beer. There are now three beers bearing the Enghien label: Enghien Blonde, Enghien Brune, plus a Christmas beer, Enghien Noël. The Blanche de Silly and La Divine were launched in 1990, to be joined in 2004 by the Pink Killer, a fruity white beer made with grapefruit juice.

In recent years the brewery has put its focus on research and development. This led to the creation of three more new beers:

  • Abbaye de Forest, a recognised abbey beer
  • Silly Pils BIO, the only organically produced beer in Wallonia
  • Green Killer IPA, a beer with a very pronounced hoppiness
Brasserie de Silly NV is still family-owned and is now in the hands of the sixth generation of the same family. The company is managed by cousins, Lionel and Bertrand Van der Haegen. Bertrand is responsible for production and Lionel looks after sales. Their parents, brothers Jean-Paul and Didier Van der Haegen are still active Board members. Brasserie de Silly has seen steady growth thanks to export sales and its quality image. Production in 2008 was 1,000,000 litres, but in 2015, 1,800,000 litres are expected to flow out of the tanks. Sales are on the up and up. Belgian beers produced in a traditional way are increasingly popular around the globe.

Brouwerij Verhaeghe

Brewery Verhaeghe Vichte is a small family-owned Brewery in the southwest of the province of West Flanders, Belgium. The history of the brewery dates back to 1885. Brewery Verhaeghe Vichte was founded as  a brewery-malterie by Paul Verhaeghe. Most of the Belgian breweries of this time organised their sales in the immediate vicinity of the brewery. In this sense we can say that the Verhaeghe brewery already showed a great commercial activity in the previous period to the great war. Through a railway line linking Vichte with Brussels, the Verhaeghe brewery was able to sell a significant part of its production on the Brussels market. At the outbreak of the first world war, Paul Verhaeghe responded to the call of the Belgian Government to resist the German occupation economically by stopping the production. The refusal of brewing during the war was responded in turn by the Germans by the dismantling of the brewery. After four years of inactivity, the brewery had lost all its customers in Brussels and was put in front of the investment of a whole new production equipment. In the post war period the brewery remained bind regionally and adapted to new trends in the market. The first brews of beer of low fermentation by the brewery date from this period. The brewery was focused also on the improvement of the quality of its existing beers. At the present time the Verhaeghe brewery feels itself confirmed in its earlier choice : a little less, but better. Not only in Belgium, but also far outside the Belgian borders, the consumer prefers more and more  beers of high quality with a unique identity. The commercial success of the "Duchess of Burgundy" beer,is the best proof : The Duchess of Burgundy is a red brown of West Flanders, matured in oak casks and is brewed according to an ancient method that is geographically linked with the southwest of the province of West Flanders.  

Brasserie Val-Dieu

For centuries, the monks studied yeasts and fermentations. They turned brewing into a science, creating special recipes ever more elaborated and sophisticated. Beers currently brewed in Val-Dieu are inspired from the traditional recipes of the monk-brewers, loyal to the tradition of beers secondary fermented in the bottle. Beers of Val-Dieu are true original Belgian Abbey beers, they are elaborated without the addition of flavourings nor spices and brewed according to the ancient infusion method.

Brouwerij Van Steenberge

The Brewery Van Steenberge is synonym for independence, progress and growth. It focuses on traditional brewing techniques that have evolved on the rhythm of technological evolutions. It guarantees a reliable quality and service. Respect for the staff and the environment occupy a central position in the policy. The history of the brewery goes back to 1784. Many hundreds of home breweries in Flanders made their own beer for their own consumption or as a side activity of farming, because it was safer to drink beer than water. In Ertvelde, Jean Baptise De Bruin started the brewery DE PEER. He turned the beer brewery into its main activity and sold the beer. De Bruin married Angelina Petronella Schelfaut who continued the brewery after his death. When she died, she left the brewery to her cousin, Jozef Schelfaut, who had assisted her for many years in the brewery and knew the art of brewing. His daughter Margriet married Paul Van Steenberge, a professor of microbiology at the Ghent brewing school. After the First World War, he took charge of the brewery. In 1919 he changed the name of the brewery to BREWERY BIOS, after the beer with the same name that went into production at the time. Unfortunately, his heart was with politics, not with beer. He was the mayor of Ervelde and a senator. Even though he wasn’t often present in the brewery, he was a real businessman. Thanks to his background as a professor in microbiology at the technical college of Delft, where he worked with a student of Louis Pasteur, he knew perfectly well what he was doing. He successfully launched a number of beers such as Bios Flemish Bourgogne (old brown) and Leutebock (lager). He invested in a new brewing hall, new tanks and switched from wooden barrels to glass bottles. His business instinct was stronger than his passion for brewing and he decided to become part of a cooperation when many breweries had a hard time because of the war. As a result, he could cut costs and benefit from the knowledge of the other brewers. Something unthinkable nowadays… But that was without taking into account his wife Margriet, who was mainly raising her son Jozef Van Steenberge who was born in 1914. She had inherited the brewery from her father. To her, becoming part of a cooperation equalled a sell: “I was born a brewer, and I will die a brewer’, she stated. Fortunately, she didn’t change her mind and fortunately, her son had inherited her passion for the trade. After the death of his father in 1962, Jozef Van Steenberge took over the management of the brewery. He refocused on the production of high-quality beers of high fermentation. The malt house and the hop extraction fields, planted by Jozef Schelfaut, disappeared. Instead, Van Steenberge led a purchasing policy of raw materials, based on very strict specifications. But it wasn’t at the age of 64, after a political career as mayor and senator – just like his father – that Van Steenberge focused on the brewery full-time. That’s when the brewery started the brewing of special beers of high fermentation and secondary fermentation. Around the same period, in 1978 to be precise, the brewery acquires the recipe of the beer that the Augustin friars brewed in their monastery in Ghent. It is fine-tuned in Ertvelde and in 1982 it is launched on the market. It is an instant success and remains the top beer up until today. The range is completed with other beers of high fermentation such as Piraat and Gulden Draak. He hits bull’s eye: at the beginning of the eighties, the market for special beers with a high alcohol percentage was rather limited. But ever since the year 2000 the beer market knows a very clear trend: the demand for lager beers decreases in favour of special beers with a rich and complex taste. Jozef Van Steenberge somehow foresaw this trend. Thanks to the focus on this type of beers, the brewery could survive and grow. It was ready for the generations to come. In 1990, Paul Van Steenberge, Jozef’s son, takes over the company. He builds a new, fully automated brewing hall, a computerised barrel filling installation, a water purification installation, a new bottling installation and a steam plant with natural gas. The expected saturation of the national market was an important stimulant to prospect abroad. In 1998, Jef Versele, Paul Van Steenberge’s cousin and the 7th generation of the brewing family, reinforced the team. He expanded the export of the attractive offer of high-fermentation beers up to 60%. The main export countries are the US, the Netherlands and Italy. In order to fulfil the ambitious plans for the future, the Augustijn range is extended with Augustijn Dark in 2009. The launch of this new beer was the perfect occasion to do a fresh and contemporary restyling of the blonde and Grand Cru variety. This launch doesn’t mean that the brewery stops developing new beers or new presentations or that it stops optimizing the management processes, focusing as ever on constant quality.

Brasserie St-Feuillien

FROM A LONG LINE OF PASSIONATE BREWERS
A WIDE RANGE OF BEERS TO INSPIRE PASSION IN YOU
Brasserie St-Feuillien was founded in 1873 by Stéphanie Friart.With its fifth generation now at the helm, the Friart family continues to brew a wide range of beers, including the St-Feuillien Abbey, Saison and Grisette beers, demonstrating a determination to stay rooted in the region’s history and keep this local tradition very much alive. Paying close attention to product quality and continuously investing in its equipment and facilities, this family-run brewery demonstrates passion and brewing knowledge in ample measure by developing new beers such as its Grand Cru and the latest addition: gluten-free, organic Grisette Blonde. The last ten years have been a period of major investment, including the installation of a new brewing room which is fully automated and extremely efficient. This independent, family-run brewery is a member of Belgian Family Brewers.

Brouwerij Bosteels

Bosteels Brewery stands in the small village of Buggenhout. Adjoining the spacious inner courtyard, the handsome and dignified buildings rise up from the ground: the former family residence and the old whitewashed tower brewery. The brewery has been in the hands of the Bosteels family for over 200 years and seven generations. Their forefather, Evarist Bosteels, established the brewery in 1791. After that came Jozef, who had three sons: Frans - for thirteen years the Mayor of Buggenhout - Martinand Lodewijk, of whom the first two learnt the brewer's trade. Leon Bosteels, Martin's son, later took over the helm, after which in 1938 Antoine Bosteels carried on the brewing dynasty as Leon's son. During his 50-year reign he built the brewery up with Bosteels Pils, which he also sold for the first time outside the Dendermonde are in Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. The grandfather and namesake of our host he was for his part elected Mayor of Buggenhout three times. The brewery is currently under the management of Antoine (7th generation).  

Kazematten Brouwerij

CITY BREWERY ON A UNIQUE LOCATION

Brewery Kazematten is located in the heart of Ypres within the ancient walls surrounding the city. The unique ‘Kazematten van het Houten Paard’ date back to 1680 and have been transformed into an authentic brewery.

Brouwerij Van Eecke

Leroy Breweries stands for more than four centuries of tradition, craftsmanship and passion, reflected in a range of quality beers. Even the French Revolution and the First World War could not get small breweries and meanwhile lead the tenth and eleventh generation of the family brewer Leroy everything runs smoothly.

Importers

Artisanal Imports

OUR PERFECTLY POURED STORY

It all began in 2001 when Artisanal Imports was formed by Lanny Hoff and Bob Leggett. With experience in beer importing, Hoff set out to develop a network of distributors on the East Coast to expand a network that Leggett had already created on the West Coast with a sister company called Manneken-Brussel. A few years later, Leggett sold his interest in Manneken-Brussel to join Hoff full-time and expanded the sales and marketing territory for Artisanal Imports to stretch all over the country.
 
The office in Austin was soon created with a full-time staff to support sales efforts.  A West Coast sales office was also opened, by Sean Knoll in Colorado, with the goal of providing the same type of sales support for Western distributors that Hoff had been offering to the Eastern market. Since then, Artisanal Imports has expanded by adding a full time administrative staff, sales and marketing members and brokers to represent our brands. Our team at Artisanal Imports is as world-class and unique as our products and dedicated to providing great service, support and ideas with our distribution partners.

D&V International

Established in 1998, D&V International is the premier importer of specialty beers from Belgium and France. We pride ourselves in delivering the highest levels of quality and professionalism in specialty beer distribution. The products from our breweries represent some of the major Belgian specialty beer styles. From authentic abbey ales, abbey-style ales, artisanal ales including wheat, blond, brown, triple, golden ale as well as Flemish red ale, and finally traditional Belgian Lambics.

Global Beer Network

Global Beer Network is the exclusive U.S. importer for six award-winning Belgian breweries, as well as one Czech brewery. We import nearly 60 Belgian beer labels, including the popular Gulden Draak, Wittekerke and Piraat. Breweries and beer labels imported by Global Beer Network include:

Beer labels imported by Global Beer Network are available in restaurants, bars and liquor stores in all 50 states as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. & British Virgin Islands.

Merchant du Vin

History

Specialty beer importer Merchant du Vin was founded in 1978, a time when Americans could not buy the world's classic beer styles - in fact, unless they had travelled to Europe most Americans had never even heard of pale ale, hefeweizen, or Trappist ale. MdV founder Charles Finkel realized that the flavors found in the great beers of England, Germany and Belgium were a universal pleasure that should be available to all adults. The goal of Merchant du Vin is to enhance people's lives via the unmatched aromas and flavors found in great beer. Merchant du Vin's selling proposition is to educate the consumer and arouse curiosity as to the differences among the classic beer styles, and to make these beers available for purchase at stores, restaurants, and bars. Merchant du Vin's portfolio of beers comes from the nations with deep, rich brewing traditions: England, Scotland, Germany, and Belgium.

Mission

Our Customer — Discriminating persons who recognize and enjoy beer as a high-quality food product. Our direct customers are distributors who have a proven track record in the distribution and sale of fine alcoholic beverages. Thousands of retailers, both on and off premise, stock our beers and profit from their sale. Our Scope — Worldwide. Our products are currently distributed in all 50 US states and in many other countries. Our Purpose — To be the country's leading agent for the world's finest handcrafted beer. Our Product — Beers which are produced, packaged, and promoted to reflect the high quality of the product. Our goal is to set the standard for quality and variety in the industry. Our Core Values: Act with integrity, courtesy and respect. Unleash the power and potential of our people. Represent excellent products. Provide exemplary customer service. Promote product education.

Wetten Importers

Wetten Importers partners with some of the oldest and more traditional brewers of Belgium and Austria to import their products to the United States. We focus on the relationship between ourselves and our partners.Our company is committed to growing and maintaining the integrity of each brand it represents.

Better Beverage Leaders

BETTER BEVERAGE LEADERS Bringing You The Finest Beer Belgium Has To Offer

Shelton Brothers

Why beer?

Simply, beer is what we care about. We love wine & spirits, sure, we will start importing some of it very soon. But the world of beer is a lot broader, infinitely more diverse, and more colorful than the world of wine. And we hope that when the dust settles, you agree that beer and beer appreciation deserve the highest respect. About this, we’re perfectly serious: a good beer offers all the complexity, interest, and sheer sensual pleasure of a good wine. It just doesn’t cost as much. But then again, it’s only beer.

How do you pick the breweries and beers you import?

The best beers are brewed with a sense of place, a distinctive house character, and an appreciation for tradition, value, and/or the natural art of beer-making. Most often, this is expressed in breweries producing less than 5,000hl per year, though some brilliant exceptions exist, especially in Germany. Beer should have depth, texture, and nuance – it should sometimes even be a little rough around the edges. There are a few (very few) exceptions to every rule, but generally speaking, that means the following about a brewery’s beers:
  • Brewed in small batches using traditional methods
  • Unsweetened
  • Unpasteurized
  • Unfiltered / Bottle-conditioned
  • Little to no use of spices or adjuncts
  • Slow-fermented
  • Distinctive house yeast or yeasts
  • Dry as opposed to sweet
There’s no miracle to importing good beer – just hard work and a lot of travel. We specifically seek out unmanipulated beer, generally looking to small breweries with craftsmen taking seriously their passion for a natural, traditionally made product. Shelton Brothers is the only beer importer with these specific criteria for hand-selecting what we offer to our customers. We’ve turned down offers from large European breweries, and we’ll do it again. We’re only interested in bringing you the very best.

Organizations

Flanders Investment and Trade

We facilitate investment projects in Flanders and we give support to Flemish export companies

  • Free advice
  • Global network of experts
  • Specialised in setting up business in Flanders
  • Facilitate export from Flanders
  • Matching Flemish companies with companies worldwide
  • Informing about expertise in Flanders

Visit Flanders

Part of the Trade Consulate of Belgium/FIT. Learn more about the awesome things to do, where to stay and how to get to Flanders, BE.  

Belgian Family Brewers

Belgian Family Brewers is a non-profit association of 21 Belgian family breweries which have been brewing beer in Belgium for at least 50 years non-stop, with a total of more than 3,500 years of experience in traditional beer brewing. Together they represent 15% of the total annual beer volume produced in Belgium. Only 160 beers carry the Belgian Family Brewers label. This label stands for an unprecedented level of authenticity and craftsmanship!

Belgian Brewers Association

"Belgian Brewers" is one of the oldest professional associations in the world and almost all Belgian breweries belong to it. Its most important task is to defend the general interests of the brewery sector in the economic, social and ethical spheres.

Retail Supporters

Ashley's Beer & Grill

With locations in Ann Arbor and Westland, Ashley’s is known as “Michigan’s Premier Multi-tap.” DRAFT magazine has repeatedly named Ashley’s one of the 100 best beer bars in the country and Brewers Association's CraftBeer.com named Ashley's as one the top 25 Great American Beer Bars.

Belgian Ales By Mail

Belgian-Style Ales sells the finest ales from Belgium online to customers in the lower 48 United States. We also help beer lovers learn more about the Belgian ales. Year after year, many are voted the best in the world.

Blue Front

Our History
Ann Arbor's premier craft beer and wine store. With over 900 beers and ciders and 200 wines, we have something for everyone. Stop by and pick up your favorite or let one of our knowledgeable staff members help you find something new!  701 Packard St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Delirium Cafe VA

Delirium Cafe 101 S King St, Leesburg, VA 20175  

Holiday Market - Canton

Holiday Market

520 S. Lilley Rd. Canton, Michigan 48188 Phone: 734-844-2200

Store Hours:

Monday through Saturday 8:00am - 10:00pm Sunday 9:00am - 9:00pm

Travel Sponsors

Bon Beer Voyage

Bon Beer Voyage is a beer travel company specializing in super inclusive, small group beer tours for Belgian & Craft Beer enthusiasts. We offer weekend beer trips as well as weeklong beer tours in the US as well as Europe. Our beer trips combine the best of brewery tours, beer tasting, beer paired gourmet meals and beer culture around the world.  

Belgian Beer Me

Why BBM! Tours?

First of all let me say there are a number of good beer tour companies out there, most of them colleagues and friends of mine, who also run solid tours.  My hope is that you will take my tours and take their tours, or take their tours, then take my tours.  We'll never make disparaging remarks about other tour companies in a desperate attempt to get your business.  The important thing is let's get you on a beer tour!

Media

Beer Connessieur

Delve into the world's premier beer magazine as it explores beer culture both in America and abroad. The world of beer continues to head in new and exciting directions, and The Beer Connoisseur® is the industry authority with the goal of delivering the latest news, stories and reviews to both consumers and industry professionals.

Draft Magazine

DRAFT taps into fresh flavors, unique experiences and emerging trends in beer, plus food, travel and leisure for a 360-degree view of the modern drinker’s lifestyle.

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