Brouwerij Louwaege

In Kortemark, Brouwerij Louwaege was more than a production site: it was a five-generation family brewery woven into the town’s center. Also known as Brouwerij Den Arend, it moved from the Flemish tradition of oud bruin into lager brewing and later into high-fermentation regional beers. Its long local presence ended after Alken-Maes acquired and closed the brewery in the early 2000s. A brewery at the heart of Kortemark The brewery stood at the Markt and formed a historically connected ensemble with the Den Arend inn. The site’s surviving malt tower and factory chimneys still mark the scale of the former operation. Official heritage records identify the complex as both Brouwerij Den Arend and Brouwerij Louwaege, linking the brewery’s industrial buildings directly to Kortemark’s historic townscape. From oud bruin to regional beers Founded in 1877, Louwaege was initially especially known for oud bruin. During the interwar period it followed the wider rise of bottom-fermented beers, before its later production became associated with high-fermentation regional specialties. Among the brewery’s best-known names were Hapkin and Akila Pils. The final chapter After five generations of Louwaege family ownership and management, Alken-Maes acquired the brewery in 2002. The Kortemark brewery was subsequently closed, bringing its local brewing story to an end even as the Hapkin name continued under the acquiring group. A five-generation Kortemark family brewery whose identity stretched from oud bruin to Hapkin and other regional beers. Kortemark, West Flanders, Belgium 1877 1877: Brouwerij Louwaege, also called Brouwerij Den Arend, was founded in Kortemark. 2002: Alken-Maes acquired the brewery after five generations of Louwaege family involvement. 2002: The Kortemark brewery was subsequently closed.