In 1142, the Lords of Grimbergen revolted against the Duke of Brabant. This meant war, which meant destruction and ruin for the Grimbergen abbey, but the abbey rose majestically from the fire like a phoenix, and was completely rebuilt stone by stone. If you thought that was the end of Grimbergen’s struggle to success, think again. In 1566, the abbey was destroyed for the second time during the religious wars. This time, the Fathers had to fly to Brussels, and only returned to Grimbergen 30 years later, where they rebuilt their community.

In 1629, the abbey was re-established, and the Fathers decided to adopt the phoenix as a symbol of rebirth, alongside the motto “ardet nec consumitur”, which means “burned, but not destroyed”.

Today, Grimbergen is known for its range of Belgian abbey beers, which includes blonde, brown, and amber ales. The Grimbergen Blonde is one of the brewery’s flagship beers, and it’s a part of the core range. The Blonde has a unique but well-balanced contrast between spicy and fruity notes, and is known to be a complex, intense, and bittersweet beer.

Grimbergen is also loved for its award-winning Double Ambrée - a malty Dubbel-style amber beer with strong fragrances and flavours of caramel, liquorice, bitter orange, and macerated prunes. The full-bodied amber ale is rich, sweet, and pairs perfectly with hearty meals and good company!

Known as The Beer of the Phoenix, Grimbergen’s range of beers is the result of tried and tested brewing techniques and experimentation over nine centuries. The brewery’s delicious brews have gone on to win multiple awards and are truly sensorial Belgian-style beers that are rich, fruity, spicy, and full of character! Although Grimbergen Brewery is owned by the Carlsberg Group, it continues to honour its time-old traditions of brewing and continues to produce top-quality Belgian beers for locals and beyond.