Brussels abbey beer La Cambre gets a new start
The Brussels abbey beers La Cambre are back. It was announced at the end of last year that production would move to the Mechelen brewery Het Anker. It is now launching two new beers under that name.
As announced last year, the Brussels abbey beers La Cambre have recently been brewed by the Mechelen brewery Het Anker. The brewery has secured a long-term licensing agreement with the church factory of La Cambre and the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels.
With the relocation of the brewing process, the range was also adjusted. After a transition phase, Het Anker now offers both a blond abbey beer and an IPA beer. The bottles and packaging were given a complete make-over, although the logo was retained. Dame Gisèle, who founded the abbey of La Cambre in 1201, still adorns every bottle.
The new beers bear the label ‘recognised Belgian abbey beer, which means that – despite the production in Mechelen – there is a concrete link with the abbey site. The plan also includes a fee for the abbey that can serve for charities from the maintenance of the historic abbey buildings.
French revolution
The foundation of about eight years ago were created by a Brussels entrepreneur. He was inspired by the history of the Ter Kameren abbey, where Cistercian nuns brewed beer for centuries for consumption, but also for travelers and pilgrims who found the abbey on their way. With the French Revolution, the abbey licensed its religious function and with it the brewing activity.
The La Cambre beers are sold through the traditional distribution channels (beverage shops, beer shops) in Belgium, the Netherlands and France.