De Halve Maan Brewery Tour, Bruges

Location: Bruges, Belgium | Find them: Welcome to Brouwerij De Halve Maan

The history of De Halve Maan Brewery dates back to 1856 when it was founded by Henri Maes. While other breweries gradually moved outside the old town for more space, De Halve Maan remains in the centre of Bruges. In 2016, they got around their space issue by building the world’s first underground beer pipeline that transports the finished beer to a bottling plant 3.3km away. De Halve Maan produces three beer brands – Strafse Hendrick, Brugse Zot, and Blanche De Bruges. They also produce a non-alcoholic beer – Sports Zot. This uses Brugse Zot Blond as the base which is then de-alcoholised.

The taproom

Even if you don’t fancy a tour of the brewery, it’s worth popping along to the taproom for a drink. You can get De Halve Maan beers in bars all over the old town, but why not get it fresh from the source? The taproom has a huge indoor space as well as an outdoor terrace and serves food. We didn’t eat there, but we did stay for a few drinks after the tour.

About the tour

The fully-guided tour took around 50 minutes and included a drinks voucher for one draft beer at the end of the tour (or a soft drink if you prefer).

It started in the modern brew house where they currently brew the beer. We got to peek inside the different vessels where different parts of the brewing process were taking place.

The tour took us through the brewery and we saw older parts of the brewery, old brewing equipment and items from throughout the brewery’s history.

The tour guide explained the history of the family (the brewery has been passed down six generations), the beer production process, and the recent innovations (such as the pipeline).

We also got to go up to the roof of the brewery where we got fantastic views across Bruges (only accessible on the guided tour).

The tour finished back in the taproom where you could exchange your voucher for a fresh draft beer.

What we drank

Brugse Zot Blond 6%

We’d already tried the Straffe Hendrick beers (you can read our thoughts on them in our Big Belgium Beer Battle) so we decided to stick with Brugse Zot, trying the Blond and the Dubbel.

Brewer’s note: The delicious golden blonde specialty beer full of bells and whistles: with a rich head and a complex character full of fruity and spicy aromas. It is a balanced, drinkable beer that knows how to charm everyone’s taste in a playful, casual way.

Brugse Zot Dubbel 7.5%

Brewer’s note: The brown, double-silly variant is – as the name suggests – a slightly heavier beer. It stands out with a unique bitter touch. Brewed with six special malts, this gives the beer its unique and rich aroma.

Visiting

De Halve Maan Brewery is a ten to fifteen minute walk from the belfry and is definitely worth a visit, even if it’s just for a beer in the taproom. If you do want to do the tour, we recommend pre-booking a few months or weeks in advance to guarantee a place.

Book a tour: Welcome to Brouwerij De Halve Maan