Brouwerij Artois

Brouwerij Artois grew from Leuven’s historic Den Hoorn brewing tradition into one of Belgium’s defining industrial breweries. Its documented story combines a medieval brewing lineage, the Artois family’s 1717 acquisition, ambitious expansion around the Vaartkom, and the 20th-century arrival of Stella Artois. The brewery’s legacy is therefore both architectural and commercial: a Leuven institution that helped carry Belgian lager onto the international stage. From Den Hoorn to Artois The brewery’s deeper roots reach back to Den Hoorn, recorded in Leuven in 1366, with a brewing establishment in the Mechelsestraat documented by the early 16th century. Sébastien Artois bought the brewery in 1717, giving it the name that would define the business. His son Adrianus rebuilt it in 1778, while later family members expanded the operation through acquisitions at the Vaartkom and in the surrounding Leuven brewing district. An industrial Leuven landmark During the 19th and 20th centuries, Brouwerij Artois developed from a family brewery into a large industrial complex. New buildings, modern production methods and carefully expanded facilities spread across Mechelsestraat, Vaartkom, Sluisstraat and nearby streets. Surviving industrial structures, including brewing halls, fermentation buildings and machinery spaces, preserve the scale of the brewery’s transformation and its importance to Leuven’s urban history. The Stella turning point In 1926, Brouwerij Artois introduced Stella Artois in Leuven as a Christmas beer. The brewery’s later corporate history brought a 1987 merger with Piedboeuf into Interbrew, followed by the creation of InBev in 2004. Through those changes, the Artois name remained tied to Leuven’s best-known brewing heritage. A Leuven brewery whose identity was forged by the meeting of Den Hoorn’s long lineage and the Artois family’s industrial ambition. Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Belgium 1717 1366: Den Hoorn, the predecessor tradition associated with the later Artois brewery, is recorded in Leuven. 1717: Sébastien Artois buys the brewery and gives it the Artois name. 1778: Adrianus Artois rebuilds the brewery. 1926: Brouwerij Artois introduces Stella Artois as a Christmas beer in Leuven. 1987: Brouwerij Artois and Piedboeuf merge to create Interbrew.