d’Achouffe

In the quiet Ardennes hamlet of Achouffe, a home-brewing experiment became one of Belgium’s most recognizable modern breweries. Founded by brothers-in-law Pierre Gobron and Chris Bauweraerts, Brouwerij Achouffe began with limited funds, improvised equipment and a first batch of La Chouffe in 1982. Its identity remains closely tied to the village, its strong ales and the red-capped gnome Marcel. From garage to brewery The brewery’s roots lie in the garage of Chris Bauweraerts’s mother-in-law, where the two founders brewed their first batch on 27 August 1982. In 1986, growing demand led them to buy the farm where they had been brewing and turn the project into a full-time business. The setting was not incidental: Achouffe, in the Belgian Ardennes, remained the brewery’s home as the enterprise expanded. Growing without losing its place A new brewhouse in 1992 increased batch capacity from 22 to 70 hectolitres. By then, La Chouffe had been joined by Mc Chouffe, though the beers were still sold in 75-centilitre bottles and 20-litre kegs; 33-centilitre bottles arrived only in May 2009. In 2006, Brouwerij Achouffe joined the Duvel Moortgat group while continuing to brew at Achouffe. A brewery written in gnome-sized letters Marcel, the red-capped gnome associated with La Chouffe since 1983, became a defining part of the brewery’s visual identity. The Belgian Beer Glass Museum records his presence on the classic La Chouffe tulip glass, linking the brewery’s branding to the beer glass tradition as well as to the folklore of the Ardennes. A village-rooted Ardennes brewery whose strong ales are inseparable from La Chouffe’s unmistakable gnome identity. Achouffe, in the Belgian Ardennes, Wallonia, Belgium 1982 1982: Pierre Gobron and Chris Bauweraerts brew the first batch of La Chouffe in Achouffe on 27 August. 1986: The founders purchase the farm where they had been brewing and make the brewery a full-time business. 1992: A new brewhouse raises capacity from 22 to 70 hectolitres per batch. 2006: Brouwerij Achouffe joins the Duvel Moortgat group. 2009: The first 33-centilitre bottles of La Chouffe are released.