Brouwerij La Binchoise

La Binchoise is rooted in Binche’s Faubourg Saint-Paul, where brewing began beside the Samme river in 1836. Its heritage is unusually layered: the site passed through brewing and malting families, survived floods, fire, and industrial change, then returned to active brewing in the 1980s under André Graux. Today, the brewery connects that local continuity with a modern range of traditional and specialty Belgian beers. A brewing place beside the Samme On August 26, 1836, André Joseph Pourbaix sought permission to establish a brewery on the banks of the Samme at Faubourg Saint-Paul. The site later became the Saint-Paul brewery and malt house under Jules Paternotte, who acquired it in 1871. The brewery’s history is therefore tied not only to beer production, but also to the malting and grain-processing activity that shaped this part of Binche. From malt house to working brewery After the malt house was established in the present brewery buildings in the early 1930s, André Graux revived brewing there in 1986 using recovered dairy equipment and traditional methods. In 1987, the first principal beers went on sale: Brune Tradition and Blonde Tradition, then known as Réserve de Marie de Hongrie and Fakir. Seasonal and commemorative beers followed, including Spéciale Noël, Flora, and 1549. A modern Binche identity In 1995, La Binchoise launched Bière des Ours, while Spéciale Noël and Bière des Ours received major World Beer Championships medals in Chicago. Bruno Deghorain joined the brewery in 1997, and in 2001 four partners acquired the business and developed the old malt house for visitors and hospitality. The brewery continues to present itself as a traditional Belgian brewer based in Binche. La Binchoise is defined by the continuity of brewing and malting heritage at a historic Binche site beside the Samme. Faubourg Saint-Paul, Binche, Belgium 1836 1836: André Joseph Pourbaix applied to establish a brewery at Faubourg Saint-Paul beside the Samme river. 1871: Jules Paternotte purchased the brewery and developed the Saint-Paul brewery and malt-house complex. 1986: André Graux began reviving brewing at the site using traditional methods and recovered equipment. 1987: Brune Tradition and Blonde Tradition entered commercial production under the names Réserve de Marie de Hongrie and Fakir. 1995: La Binchoise launched Bière des Ours; Spéciale Noël won Platinum and Bière des Ours Gold at the World Beer Championships.