Chouffe

Chouffe is a craft beer brand produced by the brewery Brasserie d'Achouffe, located in Achouffe, a small village nestled within the Ardennes forest in the southern Wallonia region of Belgium. Chouffe beers embody Belgian distinctiveness, particularly through their special yeast strains and the infusion of herbs during brewing, which imparts sweet, fruity, and floral aromas. Today, Chouffe beers are exported to more than 70 countries worldwide.

Humble Beginnings in a Garage

The brand's origin lies in the shared passion for brewing of two brothers-in-law, Pierre Gobron and Chris Bauweraerts. They began this small hobby in a farm's garage. At that time, starting a small-scale brewery, or "craft brewery," was not easy and virtually unheard of. They had to start by inventing their own small brewing system, which they called a pico-brewery.

They spent over two years building and installing the necessary equipment in their garage to make it functional. Their first brew took place on August 27, 1982, yielding a mere 49 liters, with a cost of less than 5,000 francs (approximately 380,000 baht today). Soon after, their Brasserie d'Achouffe was officially registered as Belgium's first legal craft brewery and was, at the time, the smallest certified brewery.

The Birth of La Chouffe and the Gnome Mascot

Pierre and Chris's first beer was named La Chouffe, a Belgian blond beer with a hazy orange color and a subtly bitter taste. The word Chouffe had no specific meaning, but they wanted a short, catchy term. One day, a colleague of Chris's, while chewing food, attempted to suggest "Oumpf," but the sound came out as Chouffe. After consideration, both agreed to adopt this as their brand name.

Traditionally, many Belgian beer brands often presented a religious image, stemming from the fact that the Trappist monks in Christianity brewed some of Belgium's most renowned and influential beers, known as Trappist Beer, in the 19th century. There were also beers brewed by the general public to imitate Trappist beer, called Abbey beer (abbey refers to a church or monastery). Consequently, Belgian beer brands later widely adorned their labels with images of monks or churches, even if the beer itself had no religious connection.

Pierre and Chris were keen to design their own beer label. They shared a common desire to avoid religious imagery and wanted something different. One day in 1982, while Chris was watching television featuring a charity art event to revitalize the Ardennes forest after a tornado, he saw a piece depicting a Gnome, a dwarf from European folklore and the most famous legend of the Ardennes, which tells the story of the Nuton, gnomes with magical powers to care for plants. Inspired by this, Chris consulted Pierre, who was a school art teacher. Subsequently, the Gnome became the brand's mascot, with new Gnomes created for each beer, each with its own unique story.

Since the brewery's inception, they continued brewing several more batches. Then, in 1983, for their fifth brew, they received advice from Pierre Celis, the famous brewer who founded Hoegaarden, to add coriander seeds to La Chouffe. This particular batch not only marked the first time they bottled their beer with a Gnome illustration on the label but also introduced the new La Chouffe recipe that would become their timeless signature. The first Gnome symbolizing La Chouffe was named Marcel, who also represents all the Gnomes in the Chouffe family.

Growth and the Pioneering of Belgian IPA

Following their success in building the brand, Pierre and Chris transformed their brewing hobby into their full-time profession. They began by purchasing the entire farm and land where they brewed and upgraded it into a larger brewery in 1986, which still serves as their headquarters today. New beers were also introduced, including Mc Chouffe, a brown beer inspired by Scotch Ale; Chouffe Bok 6666, exclusively sold in the Netherlands, the first country where Chouffe ventured into marketing; and N'Ice Chouffe, a winter beer featuring thyme and orange peel. Over the next decade, by 1992, the brewery expanded further, with the construction of an additional brew room, enabling them to produce up to 7,000 liters per batch or 500,000 liters annually.

After the brand's growth led to production and export to various countries worldwide, 2006 marked another significant milestone for Chouffe. They received an offer from an American importer to produce an IPA (Indian Pale Ale) for its launch at the Ultimate Belgian Tasting event held at the Empire State Building in New York City. The request specified the use of three American hop varieties: Tomahawk, Saaz, and Amarillo (hops are plants used for preservation, bitterness, and foam stability).

Although IPA has a long history and significant influence in the craft beer industry, especially in America, this style was largely unfamiliar to Belgian brewers at the time. Nevertheless, the two brothers embarked on producing this new beer. They used three times the amount of hops compared to La Chouffe and managed the bitterness level at 45 IBU, which is lower than typical IPAs, brewing it with light Pilsner malt in Chouffe's signature style. The result was a beer with the bitterness of an American IPA and the unique aromatic character of a Belgian beer.

In February 2006, this beer was launched under the name Houblon Chouffe, with "Houblon" meaning hops in French. Subsequently, this new beer, which fused the familiar IPA style with the distinctiveness of Belgian beer, achieved tremendous success, giving rise to a new beer category known today as Belgian IPA. Chouffe continues to sell this beer under the name Chouffe IPA.

Continued Success and Vision

Brasserie d'Achouffe has received numerous awards for its innovative Chouffe beers and remains one of the most influential breweries in the Belgian craft beer scene. Since 2006, the business has been managed under the large Belgian brewing company, Duvel Moortgat. The brand continues to innovate with new beers to captivate a broader range of drinkers, such as Cherry Chouffe, offering the gentle freshness of fruit juice; La Chouffe Alcohol-Free, an alcohol-free version; and a low-alcohol option like Chouffe Lite 4.0%. They also introduce new seasonal beers, such as Chouffe Soleil, which blends IPA characteristics with a Wheat Beer, featuring notes of orange, lemon, vanilla, elderflower, and herbs, resulting in a refreshing and easy-drinking beer for spring and summer.

Brasserie d'Achouffe also offers public tours and regularly hosts events and festivals that connect with the Achouffe community. These include various projects aimed at preserving the Ardennes forest environment and the annual La Grande Choufferie, a large festival celebrating the birth of La Chouffe, featuring activities, local food stalls, and concerts. Through these initiatives, Chouffe continues to foster the sustainable growth of the Achouffe community.