Brouwerij De Halve Maan
Brouwerij De Halve Maan has been brewing in the centre of Bruges since 1856 and, by its own account, is the last authentic family brewery in the historic inner city. Xavier Vanneste runs the company as the sixth generation. The brewery is known for Brugse Zot, Straffe Hendrik and the beer pipeline that carries the beer underground to the bottling plant.
- LocationBrugge, Vlaams Gewest
- Founded1856
- TypeRegional brewery
- Untappd 3.68 · 1.1M ratings
- At Hoptimaal1 in stock · 2 in total
In stock now 1
Previously at Hoptimaal 1
Sold out. If a new batch is coming, you can ask for a heads-up on the product page.
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Six generations in the centre of Bruges
De Halve Maan began in 1856, when Henri Maes started brewing in the centre of Bruges. Since then, each generation has passed the brewing know-how on to the next. Xavier Vanneste is now at the helm as the sixth generation. Until the late 1990s, the brewery was called Henri Maes.
According to several sources, beer has been brewed on the site at the Walplein for some five hundred years. The brewery used to deliver its beer to people's homes by horse and cart. Today it exports to some forty countries and has its own branches in Mexico, China and Brazil.
Brewing in the city, bottling outside it
De Halve Maan brews in the centre of Bruges and bottles at a bottling plant just outside the city. Between the two runs a beer pipeline in which the beer flows underground. This keeps trucks out of the narrow streets of the inner city. Part of the pipeline was paid for through crowdfunding.
The range runs from Brugse Zot Blond, Dubbel and Bok to Straffe Hendrik Tripel, Quadrupel and Wild. They also make Blanche De Bruges, a Bruges wheat beer, Rosé De Bruges and Sportzot. Straffe Hendrik Heritage is released as a limited edition. You can translate the names roughly as Bruges Fool and Strong Hendrik. Straffe Hendrik and Blanche De Bruges were previously sold to other breweries, but De Halve Maan bought them back.
De Halve Maan at Hoptimaal
At Hoptimaal we have stocked the blond from De Halve Maan, in 33 cl. On Untappd, Brugse Zot and Sportzot are rated highest. The strength in our range runs from 0.4 to 6 percent. What is in stock changes, so check the beers below to see what is available now.
You drink blond best fresh and cool, from a glass. When you get to the heavier Straffe Hendrik beers, take more time over them and pour them a little less cold.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Brouwerij De Halve Maan come from?
Brouwerij De Halve Maan is on the Walplein in the historic centre of Bruges, in Belgium. The brewery has been in the hands of the same family since 1856 and is now run by the sixth generation.
What kind of beer does Brouwerij De Halve Maan make?
The brewery makes Brugse Zot (blond, dubbel and bok), Straffe Hendrik (tripel, quadrupel, wild and heritage), Blanche De Bruges, Rosé De Bruges and Sportzot, among others. The styles therefore range from blond and wheat beer to quadrupel.
What is the De Halve Maan beer pipeline?
It is an underground pipeline that pumps the beer from the brewery in the centre of Bruges to the bottling plant just outside the city. As a result, no more beer trucks drive through the inner city. Part of it was paid for through crowdfunding.
