Brouwerij Martens (Bocholt)

In Bocholt, Brouwerij Martens is a rare Belgian brewing story that stretches from an eighteenth-century tavern to a modern family enterprise with nine generations behind it. Its identity is rooted in continuity: the original De Star site remains part of the town’s brewing heritage, while the brewery’s long history also includes early experimentation, a rebuilt twentieth-century plant and a strong export tradition. From De Star to the Martens name The brewery’s own history places its beginning in 1758 at De Star, a local tavern in central Bocholt. Historical heritage records give a slightly earlier founding date of 1757 and identify Adriaan Geerkens as the founder; they also record that the business entered the Martens family through marriage in 1823. The original brewing location is now associated with the Bocholter Brouwerijmuseum. A brewery rebuilt for a wider market The current brewery complex at Kerkplein dates from 1923, replacing the earlier site on Dorpsstraat. Initially serving the local market, Martens achieved an international breakthrough after 1952, particularly in Germany. That shift became part of the brewery’s enduring character: a Bocholt family brewery whose production developed from local roots into an export-oriented operation. Experiment and continuity Martens highlights 1867 as the year it experimented with and brewed what it describes as the world’s first double dry-hopped beer. The brewery associates that tradition with Sezoens, saying the recipe has remained unchanged under that name. This is a brewery-level heritage claim rather than evidence for a separate Sezoens launch date. A nine-generation Bocholt brewery where tavern origins, industrial rebuilding and brewing innovation remain part of one continuous family story. Bocholt, Belgian Limburg, Belgium 1758 1758: Martens dates the beginning of its brewing story to the De Star tavern in central Bocholt. 1823: The brewery came into the Martens family through marriage. 1867: Martens records an early double-dry-hopping experiment associated with the Sezoens tradition. 1923: The present brewery at Kerkplein was established. 1952: The brewery’s international breakthrough began, especially in the German market.