The history of...Brasserie du Bocq

How it all began

It was the winter of 1858. Farmer Martin Belot had too little to do on his land so he followed his passion and started brewing beer. He enjoyed it so much that each year he would swap his farming work for brewing beer. Martin set up his brewery in the barn of his farm in Purnode, a small village in the south of Belgium.

Almost a century later, Brasserie du Bocq was born. Like many breweries, it’s a family business. In the early 20th century, the family brewed the first La Gauloise and these brown beers became hugely popular. From that moment on, Brasserie du Bocq would only brew craft beers.

Exceptional beers

One of Brasserie du Bocq’s most famous beers is Blanche de Namur. This beer has been named the World’s Best Wheat Beer at the World Beer Awards on multiple occasions. Brasserie du Bocq also brews Corsendonk Pater Dubbel and Corsendonk Agnus Tripel. The name refers to the old Corsendonk Priory in Oud-Turnhout. In 1982, the municipality of Oud-Turnhout commissioned a beer from Brasserie du Bocq for its 125th anniversary. In exchange, the family was given permission to use Corsendonk as a trade name. The Corsendonk Abbey beers are still as popular as ever.