Brewery

The Trappist beers produced by the Abbey of Westmalle are famous all over the world. The brewery funds the costs of the abbey. In Westmalle, brewing is far from being a purely commercial activity.

Most of the sales revenues from the beers are pumped back into the brewery to be invested in good working conditions. Today the monks themselves are no longer involved in hands-on brewing. The day-to-day brewing process is outsourced to employees from outside the abbey. However, the monks are still in overall charge of the brewery.

The revenues that are not used to fund life in the abbey are directed towards charity, social projects and people in need.

The traditional brewing process of the Westmalle Trappist beers.

The brewing process

How are the Westmalle Trappist beers brewed? Follow the stages of the brewing process, from making the mash all the way through to the final re-fermentation in the bottle.

Wooden barrels at Westmalle brewery at the start of the 20th century

The history of the abbey

The history of the Westmalle brewery is closely tied to that of the abbey. First of all, beer was produced for the abbey’s own use; in time the monks started brewing beer in order to sell it.

Monks in discussions in the historic brewhall of Westmalle.

The philosophy of the brewers of Westmalle

Overall control of the brewery remains in the hands of the monks of Westmalle. They adhere to their own and the order’s philosophy when it comes to working conditions and product quality.

The brewery of Westmalle is not open to the public.

No brewery visits

The brewery of Westmalle is not open to visitors so that the daily schedule of the monks won’t be disrupted. However, there are other ways to experience the brewery and a wealth of information is available.

For business

Selling Dubbel or Tripel in your business, shop or beer trade? Professionals can always contact the Westmalle brewery for more information about our products and support. You can also find possibilities for importing our beers here.