Kasteel

Belgium is one of the countries with a long history of beer brewing. Today, there are more than 300 breweries still in operation, many of which are historic breweries that have been established for over 100 years. One of them is Van Honsebrouck Brewery in the town of Ingelmunster, which was founded in 1900 under the name “Sint-Jozef Brewery” by Emile Vanhonsebrouck. The brewery was developed from Emile’s father’s hobby, and the business has been passed down within the family from generation to generation. From the early years up to the time of Emile’s descendants, the brewery mainly focused on producing lager beer.

 

Transformation Under Luc Honsebrouck and Beer Innovation

As the brewery entered the era of a later successor, Luc Honsebrouck, he began to transform the brewery’s traditional direction by creating a wider range of beers with more distinctive characteristics. Each beer had its own unique name, such as “Bacchus,” an Oud Bruin beer with a dark color and a sour taste resulting from long fermentation, and “Brigand,” a special blonde beer recipe created as a tribute to a rebel group. In addition, he became the first brewer to successfully produce Lambic beer in another city in Belgium. Previously, brewing this type of beer traditionally required the use of natural yeast found only in the Zenne Valley near Brussels.

 

The Birth of “Kasteel” and Inspiration from Ingelmunster Castle

“Kasteel” is another special beer and the latest new line created by Luc. The word “Kasteel” is a Dutch term that literally means “castle.” Luc was inspired to create this new beer from the historic “Ingelmunster Castle,” which the Vanhonsebrouck family purchased for residence and restoration in 1986.

 

Ingelmunster Castle and Its Historical Significance

This castle is an important historical site. It was built in the 11th century on the ruins of an ancient church. Over the centuries, it was owned by many different noble families, military leaders, and historical figures. As a result, it became a place where numerous artworks and historical treasures were stored. Moreover, the Vanhonsebrouck family still owns the castle to this day. Although it suffered a major fire in 2001, which damaged parts of the building and some artworks, restoration and repairs have continued, and the castle remains open as a historical tourist attraction up to the present day.

 

The Launch of Kasteel and a New Era for Van Honsebrouck

“Kasteel” beer was launched in 1989 (three years after the family acquired the castle), featuring an image of Ingelmunster Castle on its label. The launch of Kasteel marked the official beginning of the modern era of Van Honsebrouck Brewery. The very first Kasteel beer was called “Kasteel Donkel.” Its highlight is that it is a Quadrupel, a brown beer with an alcohol content of 11%. It is brewed with roasted malt, giving it a caramel-like aroma. Its flavor is both rich and smooth at the same time, with a slightly sweet note as well—making it completely different from Van Honsebrouck’s original lager beers. After Donkel, Luc also adapted the Tripel style, one of Belgium’s traditional high-alcohol beers, giving it a distinctive character with aromas reminiscent of banana and cloves.

 

Global Recognition Under Xavier Vanhonsebrouck

Later on, Xavier Vanhonsebrouck, Luc’s successor, took over the business. In addition to his marketing expertise, which helped make Kasteel internationally recognized, he was also skilled at developing a wide variety of beers. “Kasteel Rouge,” a cherry beer adapted from the original Donkel and launched in 2007, became highly successful as a leading fruit beer.

 

Awards, Expansion, and Specialty Beer Status

Kasteel Rouge also won a Silver Medal in the Fruit and Vegetable Flavoured Beer category at The World Beer Awards 2016. This success was further expanded into Kasteel Rubus Framboise (raspberry beer) and Kasteel Tropical (tropical fruit beer). Today, Kasteel beer is exported to more than 60 countries worldwide, and the brand continues to create new flavors inspired by traditional beer styles. These include Kasteel Cuvée and Kasteel Trignac XII, which involve Donkel and Tripel with extended aging time or additional special techniques—such as Trignac XII, which is aged in cognac casks. This has made the brand well known as a widely available Specialty Beer.