‘t Hofbrouwerijke

In Beerzel, a brewer’s home garden became the unlikely birthplace of a working Belgian microbrewery. ’t Hofbrouwerijke grew from Jef Goetelen’s return to brewing after formal study and experiments with the Molse Bier- en Wijngilde. Its identity remains closely tied to that domestic beginning: a small-scale brewery rooted in a house, a garden and the practical curiosity of a brewer who kept turning hobby into craft. From biochemistry to the brewhouse Goetelen first encountered brewing while studying biochemistry, then stepped away from it for roughly fifteen years. In 2001 he began again, enrolling in brewing school and experimenting through the Molse Bier- en Wijngilde. The route from laboratory curiosity to professional brewing was gradual, but it gave the project both technical grounding and a distinctly personal character. A brewery in the garden The brewery took shape in Beerzel, beside Goetelen’s home and partly beneath the garden. The name ’t Hofbrouwerijke reflects that setting: a brewery established in the brewer’s own hof, or yard and garden. A heritage inventory records Goetelen’s first beer brewed there in 2004, while brewery directories date the brewery’s establishment to 2005. Small-batch Belgian versatility The brewery’s documented range includes its own beers as well as commissioned brewing for other producers. Heritage material describes weekly brewing with batches of up to about 2,000 litres and a portfolio spanning roughly fourteen beers, including Bosprotter, Hoftrol, Flower Sour and the Dungeonmaster series. The evidence points to an adaptable microbrewery rather than a house limited to one traditional style. A garden-born Beerzel microbrewery where technical curiosity and small-scale independence became the defining tradition. Beerzel, Antwerp Province, Belgium 2005 2001: Jef Goetelen returned seriously to brewing and began brewing-school training. 2004: Goetelen brewed his first beer in the brewery established in his own garden. 2005: ’t Hofbrouwerijke was established as a brewery in Beerzel.