Brasserie des Géants

Brasserie des Géants began in 1997 inside the Castel d’Irchonwelz, a twelfth-century fortified site near Ath. Founded by engineers Pierre and Vinciane Delcoigne, it joined craft brewing with the living folklore of the Ducasse d’Ath, whose giant figures gave the brewery its name. Though the original brewery later became part of Brasserie des Légendes, its roots remain tied to this historic place and regional tradition. A brewery in a castle Pierre and Vinciane Delcoigne established the brewery at Castel d’Irchonwelz after acquiring the site in 1997. Restoration work and brewery construction followed between 1998 and 2000, placing a modern craft operation within a protected historic setting. The name Brasserie des Géants referred directly to the giant procession associated with the Ducasse d’Ath. From Géants to Légendes The brewery’s first beer, Gouyasse, was launched between 1998 and 2000 while the company still operated as Brasserie des Géants. In 2006, the brewery merged with Brasserie Ellezelloise, creating Brasserie des Légendes while retaining the two production sites and the local cultural identities associated with giants and witches. A wider agricultural link In 2005, the company acquired the Beauregard family farm to grow barley. This extended the brewery’s role beyond brewing toward greater control of its production chain, connecting the ingredients and the finished beer more closely to the surrounding region. Its defining character is the meeting of Belgian craft brewing, a restored medieval site, and the enduring giant folklore of Ath. Castel d’Irchonwelz, Irchonwelz, Ath, Hainaut, Belgium 1997 1997: Pierre and Vinciane Delcoigne established Brasserie des Géants at Castel d’Irchonwelz. 1998-2000: The buildings were restored, the brewery was constructed, and the first beer, Gouyasse, was launched. 2005: The Beauregard family farm was acquired for barley cultivation. 2006: Brasserie des Géants merged with Brasserie Ellezelloise to form Brasserie des Légendes.