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.

Oude foto van Stefanie De Jaegher
Stefanie De Jaegher
1885

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.

Oude foto
1944

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.

1961

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.

2021

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

Unrivalled craftsmanship
We are proud of our tradition and our craft, where master distiller Bart Meelens supervises the quality. All our drinks are prepared according to authentic recipes, sometimes dating back decades.
Family tradition
We have been an independent family business for four generations. This is evident in everything, especially in the personal way we deal with partners and customers.
Inspired by nature
Nature is the basis of our drinks. All the ingredients come from our own farm or from other entrepreneurs who share our passion for the pure product.

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!

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