Brasserie de Silly

Brasserie de Silly grew from a Hainaut farm brewery into a six-generation Belgian family brewery without severing its agricultural roots. Founded at Cense de la Tour in 1850, it survived wartime disruption, shifted decisively from farming to brewing after 1947, and took the name Brasserie de Silly in 1973. Its identity is grounded in continuity, local place, and a willingness to broaden the range from traditional top-fermented beers to newer styles. A brewery born on a Hainaut farm The brewery began in 1850 at Cense de la Tour in Silly, where Marcellin Meynsbrughen continued a longstanding farm tradition of brewing with locally grown barley and hops. The family business gradually became known beyond the village: in 1900, founder’s son Adelin received a silver medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, an early sign that this small Hainaut brewery had ambitions beyond its immediate surroundings. From farm work to full-time brewing For much of its early history, brewing shared the property with agricultural work. The balance changed in 1947, when brewing definitively took precedence over farming. Production at that time centered on top-fermented beers such as Grisette, Saison, and Scotch; the brewery later expanded into bottom-fermented beers and continued adding new expressions to its range. The name Silly becomes the banner The company adopted the name Brasserie de Silly in 1973. Two years later, it acquired Brasserie Tennstedt Decroes in Enghien, bringing the Double Enghien beer family into its portfolio. That combination of inherited regional beers and new family-developed brands remains central to the brewery’s documented heritage. A farm-rooted Hainaut brewery whose history is defined by family continuity and carefully widening Belgian beer traditions. Cense de la Tour, Silly, Hainaut, Belgium 1850 1850: Marcellin Meynsbrughen begins brewing at Cense de la Tour in Silly. 1900: Adelin Meynsbrughen receives a silver medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. 1947: Brewing activity definitively takes precedence over the family’s farming business. 1973: The company adopts the name Brasserie de Silly. 1975: Brasserie de Silly acquires Brasserie Tennstedt Decroes in Enghien and adds Double Enghien to its range.