Het Anker Brewery is a Flemish brewery in

Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...

, founded in 1471 by a community of

Beguines The Beguines () and the Beghards () were Christian lay religious orders that were active in Western Europe, particularly in the Low Countries, in the 13th–16th centuries. Their members lived in semi-monastic communities but did not take for ...

. In 1872, the brewery was acquired by Louis Van Breedam, who renamed it ''Het Anker'' ("The Anchor") in 1904. Expanding its assortment from

lager Lager (; ) is a Type of beer, style of beer brewed and Brewing#Conditioning, conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be Pale lager, pale, Amber lager, amber, or Dark lager, dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially availab ...

ale Ale is a style of beer, brewed using a warm fermentation method. In medieval England, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typically has a bittering agent to balance the malt and act as a preservative. Ale ...

, it began producing "Emperor beer" after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1960, it renamed it "Gouden Carolus" (''Golden Charles'') after

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...

(who was raised in Mechelen). They opened a

brasserie In France, Flanders, and the Francophone world, a brasserie () is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves dishes and other meals. The word ''brasserie'' is French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the brewing busine ...

and a hotel, and in 2010 began producing a single malt whisky, distilled from the Gouden Carolus Tripel. The company's Lucifer beer (which was originally brewed by Liefmans Brewery and then acquired by Duvel Moortgat Brewery) was ranked #6 in a 2010 ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' test of Belgian-style beers. Het Anker is also brewing Dentergems Wit, a wheat beer brewed earlier by Liefmans. Specialty beers include the ''Cuvée van de Keizer'', brewed once a year on the birthday of Charles V, available as a strong pale ale (red) and a dark ale ("blue").

Distillery De Molenberg

In 2010, a full-fledged whisky distillery was built and put into operation in

Blaasveld Willebroek (, old spelling: ''Willebroeck'', also ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of , Heindonk, , Klein Willebroek, and Willebroek proper. In 2021, Willebroek had a total popu ...

, in the 17-century family farm. From the mash of Gouden Carolus Tripel, a grain whisky was distilled. Gouden Carolus Single Malt was introduced on November 23, 2013, and has already won several international prizes.

References

External links

* 1471 establishments in Europe Anker Brewery Breweries of Flanders Companies based in Antwerp Province Mechelen 15th-century establishments in the Burgundian Netherlands 1470s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire {{beer-stub