The Belgian brewing community was surprised this morning by the announcement that the large, regional brewer, Duvel Moortgat, brewers of the famed strong, golden ale, Duvel, has purchased the smaller, specialty-oriented Brasserie d’Achouffe. The deal marks the marriage of north and south Belgium, as the larger brewer is based in Flanders while the smaller is in the Ardennes region of Wallonia.
While normally, the purchase of a small brewery by a larger one is cause for concern, in this instance, the fit seems good. “(Duvel Moortgat ceo) Michel Moortgat believes in our brewery,” says Brasserie d’Achouffe co-founder Christian Bauweraerts, adding that the purchase comes with a commitment to double the capacity of the Wallonian operation from its current 35,000 hectolitres.
“Alone, we might have reached 30,000 hl of production,” says Bauweraerts, “With Duvel we could hit 65,000 or 70,000 hl.”
Indeed, from the Achouffe perspective, the deal appears to be a winner. Bauweraerts and his partner and brewery co-founder Pierre Gobron get to keep their brewpub, Les 3 Fourquets, located in nearby Courtil, while the brewery’s main brands gain access to a greater sales force and increased distribution both within and outside of Belgium. “(With Les 3 Fourquets) we go back to being hobby brewers again,” Bauweraerts laughs, adding that both men will also stay on with the company. “We don’t make milk, we brew beer, so we need continuity,” he says.
In North America, the hope is that the Chouffe beers might see increased distribution, including their new, U.S.-only offering, Houblon Chouffe, a well-hopped tripel-style ale that has been likened to an “Imperial tripel,” and not without reason. Rumors that it or any of the Chouffe beers might be brewed at the Duvel-owned Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York, however, were quickly squashed by Duvel USA president Laurent Demuynck, who noted that he barely has the capacity for his own beers at present.
