The Half Moon Brewery
In the center of the medieval city of Bruges, Belgium, is a very special brewery. Brouwerij De Halve Maan (Brewery of the Half Moon), founded in 1865, is a family owned gem in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There has been a brewery on the site since 1564. The founder, Leon ”Henri” Maes, called it the Henry Maes Brewery until the late nineties, when the name was changed to De Halve Maan. They brew three beer brands: Brugse Zot (the Bruges Fool), Straffe Hendrik (Strong Henry) and Blanche de Bruges (Brugs Tarwebier in Flemish).
Two of the Brewery’s Most Popular Beers
The Beers
Brugse Zot Blond is De Halve Maan’s flagship beer, accounting for 60 percent of production. It is crisp and dry and 6.0% ABV.
Brugse Zot Dubbel is a 7.5% brown ale made with six different malts and a special variety of Saaz hops.
Brugse Bok (Bock Beer) is a 6.5% German-style lager beer that Henri Maes III learned to make while in Germany after WWI.
Straffe Hendrik’s flagship is a “Tripel à l’Ancienne”- a dark blond ale that is well-hopped, malty and 9.0% ABV.
Straffe Hendrik Wild is the Tripel with Brettanomyces wild yeast added, which gives it a fresh, funky, dry and moderately tart character.
Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel is big, bold, malty and dark brown with 11.0% alcohol.
Straffe Hendrik Heritage is a once-a-year version of the Quadrupel that has been aged in oak casks. Only very limited quantities of this rarity are available. If you get the chance to buy one, do it!
Blanche de Bruges (Brugs Tarwebier) is a traditional hazy Witbier (white beer) with 4.8% alcohol. It is brewed at the Alken-Maes brewery.
Brew Kettle; Hop Additions; Fermenters
Modern and Historical Brewing
De Halve Maan has a totally modern brewing system capable of producing 10,000,000 liters of beer annually. Current production is about 4,000,000 liters annually. In addition to the shiny new stainless system, there are pieces of older systems scattered through the buildings. If you are fortunate enough to find yourself in Bruges, by all means book a tour of De Halve Maan. You will see all parts of the brewery, including a magnificent view of the city from the top of the brewery. Of course, the tour ends with a beer in De Halve Maan’s spacious taproom, which includes an excellent restaurant.
Yes, This is the Brewery with the Pipeline!
The Three Mile Pipeline to the Bottling Facility
In 2016, De Halve Maan created quite a worldwide splash when they introduced their new stainless-steel beer pipeline – running three miles from De Halve Maan to its bottling facility on the outskirts of Bruges. Prior to the pipeline, beer had to be trucked out to the bottling plant. The narrow and windy cobblestoned streets of Bruges meant only small tanker trucks could be used. The pipeline eliminated the trucks and the need to transfer the beer multiple times. The pipeline was in the news worldwide because a project of this type had never been completed before. You can actually look down at the pipeline from a glass window on the ground at the brewery’s entrance.
Tradition and Innovation
Brouwerij De Halve Maan is innovative with stainless pipelines, mixed-culture beers, barrel-aging and beer gastronomy, but they are deeply rooted in tradition. A family brewery for six generations, current CEO Xavier Vanneste is also the president of the Belgian Family Brewers association, a group dedicated to promoting quality, tradition and pride among all of Belgium’s family brewers.
Bruges - The View from the Roof