Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

At Val-Dieu, brewing is part of a living abbey landscape rather than a brand story detached from place. The modern Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu was established inside the abbey in 1997, reviving brewing after the French Revolution interrupted the site’s tradition. Today, its beers are brewed at the abbey in Aubel, linking contemporary production with Cistercian heritage without pretending that the modern brewery is eight centuries old. A brewery restored to the abbey The abbey’s own historical account dates Val-Dieu’s foundation to 1216, when Cistercian monks arrived from Hocht. It connects the monks with the brewing tradition now continued on the site, while the abbey’s timeline identifies 1997 as the decisive modern restart: Alain Pinckaers and Benoît Humblet established a new brewery there in partnership with the monks. Brewing at the heart of Val-Dieu The brewery remains located within the abbey complex. The abbey describes its beers as brewed exclusively at Val-Dieu, and the brewery’s current presentation emphasizes a controlled process built from water, malt, hops and yeast, with fermentation lasting around two weeks. Its range includes traditional beers, seasonal creations and barrel-aged beers. A glass shaped by abbey tradition The Belgian Beer Glass Museum records a Val-Dieu goblet associated with the brewery and the Walloon site of Val-Dieu. Its broad, stemmed form, bilingual abbey-beer wording and references to the abbey’s architecture place the brewery within the familiar visual language of Belgian abbey ales. This is glassware history, not evidence for the launch date of any particular beer. A modern abbey brewery whose identity rests on brewing again at Val-Dieu itself. Val-Dieu Abbey, near Aubel, Wallonia, Belgium 1997 1216: Cistercian monks founded the Abbey of Val-Dieu. 1794: The French Revolution interrupted the abbey’s brewing tradition. 1997: Alain Pinckaers and Benoît Humblet established a new brewery inside the abbey in partnership with the monks. 2020: An expansion doubled the brewery’s production capacity while keeping it at the heart of the abbey.