Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle

In many Trappist orders the fathers were only allowed to drink milk, water and beer. In order not to have to buy beer, the beer was brewed by the fathers themselves in their abbey. The fathers in Westmalle started building their own brewery on 1 August 1836. In the early days, the beer from this brewery was only intended for personal use. Later the beer was also sold to others to cover expenses. This created the need to modernize and expand the brewery. In 1897, the new brewery was completed with a 40 hectolitre brewing kettle. Sales of Westmalle Trappist beer were further increased to cover the costs of the abbey, increased social obligations and the necessary construction of a new farm. In recent years, the brewery has been further modernized. Worldwide there are only 7 real Trappist beers, of which Westmalle is one.