Brouwerij DijkWaert

Brouwerij DijkWaert emerged in Herentals as a deliberately small, hands-on brewery shaped by the partnership of Hans Wierts and Carine Van Dyck. Rather than beginning with an inherited industrial tradition, the couple converted part of their home into a brewery and built a range that embraced both Belgian brewing character and experimentation, from herb-led blond beer to fruit beer and stout. A home brewery in Herentals DijkWaert began in a rural pocket of Herentals’ industrial outskirts, where Hans Wierts and Carine Van Dyck transformed part of their house into a brewing space. Their early business also included fruit wines, aperitifs, herbal drinks and preserves. After market research showed stronger interest in beer than wine, they invested in professional brewing equipment and made beer the central focus. Small scale, broad curiosity The brewery’s 250-litre installation allowed custom batches for companies, restaurants and beer associations while preserving a deliberately small operation. Its beers ranged widely: Thals 1886 drew on an eight-herb gruut-inspired approach, Fruitig Bierreke explored fruit and lambic character, and Goeie Koffe moved toward dark, coffee- and chocolate-associated stout territory. The name DijkWaert The name combines family references: “dijk” comes from Carine Van Dyck’s surname, while “waert” refers to Hans Wierts and to the traditional figure of a café keeper or waard. That personal construction suits a brewery whose origins are domestic, collaborative and closely tied to its makers. DijkWaert’s defining character is intimate, small-batch Belgian brewing that leaves room for herbs, fruit and dark-beer experimentation. Herentals, Antwerp Province, Belgium July 2010 2010: Hans Wierts and Carine Van Dyck received their food-safety permit in July and established Brouwerij DijkWaert in Herentals. 2010: Vurig Bierreke was first brewed on August 25. 2010: Goeie Koffe was first brewed on December 30. 2011: Eeuwige Liefde was first brewed on February 5; the beer had originally been made for the couple’s wedding celebration. 2012: Thals 1886 was first brewed on May 9, and the lambic-based version of Fruitig Bierreke followed on July 26.