Not long after the Second World War, Deconinck was invited by the Trappist monks at Westvleteren to brew and market their Trappist beers under licence, originally covering a 30-year period. A new brewery was soon established right next to the cheese workshop and under the guidance of Brewmaster Mathieu Szafranski, the Réfuge started brewing Trappist beers.

In 1959, the cheese-making business was sold, and the brewery was the sole focus of the Réfuge. In the 1960s, Deconinck’s son-in-law Guy Claus managed to convince Westvleteren Abbey to renew the brewery’s original 30-year licence agreement, and a new 30-year deal was signed to keep the beer flowing till 1992.

When the deal expired, the brewery preserved all the recipes that it had brewed but the beers were marketed under the St. Bernardus brand name. This period was marked by uncertainty as the brewery had to revive its fortunes while creating a reputation for its new branding.

St. Bernardus initially produced 4 Trappist beers: Sint-Sixtus 4, 6, 8, and the Abt 12. These beers were all recognisable by the bottles they came in; more specifically, by the all-too-familiar logo which features a smiling monk holding a glass.

Each beer had its own distinctive background colour and were brewed using the original recipes back then, but of course, the brewery has made a few changes. The brewery now uses water from different sources and a different yeast strain that originates from Westmalle instead of the propagated strains of the original Westvleteren yeast.

Another popular brew of St. Bernardus is the Belgian Tripel - a traditional abbey beer that follows the classic tripel style. The pale gold-amber beer has a sophisticated flavour profile of spice, orange, grass, and warming alcohol. Oh, and how can we forget its delightful floral and banana-like fruity notes!

St. Bernardus - a former Trappist brewery - has a rich history of how it came to brew high-quality, complex, and flavourful beers despite facing a multitude of challenges. The brewery’s name, as well as its beers, are very much grounded in the Trappist tradition. After all, it’s no coincidence that the brewery can be found on a street called “Trappistenweg”!

By keeping to its traditions, the brewery continues to produce authentic Belgian beers that are loved and respected by beer enthusiasts all over the world!