Straffe Hendrik Brewery, Bruges

...Maan (previously known as the Straffe Hendrik brewery) combines history, beer drinking and a good day out!

~~~WHERE IS THE BREWERY?

The brewery, bar, restaurant, museum and visitor centre that make up this tourist attraction is located at 26 Walplein. It isn't far from the cathedral, the main tourist sites in Bruges (the diamond museum is not far away) and is about ten minutes walk from the train station. To be honest, ...
...HISTORY.

The Straffe Hendrik Brewery was founded in 1856, when the present building was built. It was always run as a family business and is a small and friendly place. They did stop brewing for a while but, in April 2005, brewing recommenced. Now the brewery brew a beer called Brugse Zot (which means Bruges Lunatic) and have had to change the brewery name from Straffe Hendrik (which means Strong Henry) to the Half Moon. This is mainly ... more

When we go to Belgium we do indulge in a fair amount of beer sampling, but we do try to do a bit of sight seeing too. So when the beer sampling and the sight seeing can seamlessly coincide then life is good! Once such example of this wondrous occurrence can be found during a day out in the Flanders city of Bruges. A trip to the Brewery de Halve Maan (previously known as the Straffe Hendrik brewery) combines history, beer drinking and a good day out!

~~~WHERE IS THE BREWERY?

The brewery, bar, restaurant, museum and visitor centre that make up this tourist attraction is located at 26 Walplein. It isn't far from the cathedral, the main tourist sites in Bruges (the diamond museum is not far away) and is about ten minutes walk from the train station. To be honest, we went with some people who knew the way from the station, but there is a good map on the brewery web-site (address at the end of the review).

~~~A BIT OF HISTORY.

The Straffe Hendrik Brewery was founded in 1856, when the present building was built. It was always run as a family business and is a small and friendly place. They did stop brewing for a while but, in April 2005, brewing recommenced. Now the brewery brew a beer called Brugse Zot (which means Bruges Lunatic) and have had to change the brewery name from Straffe Hendrik (which means Strong Henry) to the Half Moon. This is mainly because the Straffe Hendrik brand name is now owned by a different company (the brewing rites to their other brands was sold on in 2002) and the family is no longer able to use it.

~~~OPENING HOURS AND PRICES.

A 45 minute guided brewery tour costs €4.50 and also includes a glass of beer at the end (it used to be Straffe Hendrik beer, but is now either the dark or blond Brugse Zot). I think this a very reasonable price for a good quality tour and a tasty drink.

The opening hours are:
April to October:
Mon-Fri - every hour from 11am to 4pm
Sat-Sun - every hour from 11am to 5pm
November to March:
Mon-Fri - every hour from 11am to 3pm
Sat-Sun - every hour from 11am to 4pm

You just turn up and buy a ticket inside the bar and wait for the next tour in your language ~ tours are available in English, Dutch, German and French, so make sure you get on the right one! If you are going with a group (of 20 or more) you can arrange to book a guide and can also book tours outside of the normal hours if you want (and maybe have a meal at the brewery).

~~~THE TOUR.

Unfortunately when we went the first time it was quite quiet so our tour was combined with a French speaking tour. This meant that everything had to be repeated twice, so consequently the tour took a little longer. The second time the place was very busy and it was a little hectic trying to find out which tour you were on and to get near enough to the guide to hear (I also think this tour was a little hurried to get everyone round) ~ this didn't really bother us because we had heard the talking before and knew about how the beer was brewed. The first, and quieter tour (and the one I will base the majority of this review on), meant we felt a little less rushed and could take our time taking photos and asking questions.

From the outset the guide (on each tour) was very knowledgeable and seemed enthusiastic and proud of her brewery. She kind of cottoned on as the tour progressed that we knew a little about brewing and she managed to cater the tour more to the gossip and less to the theory.

Along the way you will see various parts of the brewing process and also some of the history of Belgian brewing. There are also some interesting exhibits of beer advertising history ~ we particularly enjoyed spotting the old cans and bottles from the UK, many of which were examples of beers and breweries that no longer exist. There are rooms full of huge casks and the place has quite a lot of atmosphere ~ the air smells of beer, oak barrels and that aroma of history!

The highlight of the tour for non-brewery enthusiasts is the trip up the roof of the building. Climbing up several levels of floors you eventually come to the top and the wonderful views over the city. The only problem is that some of the steps are very steep indeed ~ in fact they are more like the rungs of a ladder that stairs. This isn't really a tour for anyone who can't cope with clambering up steps and walking on uneven surfaces. It is an old building and obviously dates from the days before health and safety was an issue! The brewery is built over a few floors and it really isn't good for the less mobile.

Once the tour is completed you get a ticket to redeem in the bar for a free drink. This is where it can a little hectic because it is the same bar that also serves food and drink to the non-tour customers. Everyone seems to mill about and there doesn't seem to be any organization to the queuing OR the fairness of the serving. If you weren't pushy you could stand there for ages and keep getting ignored ~ speak up and make sure the staff are aware you are next! That said even though it was busy there was no pressure to drink up quickly and move on.

The bar is very nice and modern (a bit of a contrast to the brewery). If it is nice day there is a lovely courtyard outside where you can sit to enjoy your drink and maybe stay for a snack if it isn't too busy. We had a beer each (Alun had the dark and I had the blond), which we really enjoyed. I did notice that children had a different coloured ticket which could be redeemed for a free soft drink ~ a cunning way to make sure that the adults weren't getting an extra free beer perhaps! You could also have a soft drink instead of the beer if you preferred, but funnily enough we all opted for the beer.

All in all I would recommend the Half Moon brewery as an interesting and informative way to spend a few hours in Bruges. I have been twice (my third visit was just to the bar), once when the brewery was called Straffe Hendrik and once after it had altered to the Half Moon. All that has really changed is the name and the brand name of the beer we got to sample at the end of the tour. Our visit was made more interesting by the knowledge and humour of the guide ~ she was friendly and equally comfortable speaking in French and English. She also made the tour fun for the few children present, even when a few of them got a bit bored and tried to wander off.

So, if you happen to find yourself in Bruges and have a few hours to spare, you should pay a call on the people at the Half Moon brewery. You will enjoy it, get a free drink and maybe even learn something!

~~~ADDRESS & CONTACT DETAILS

Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan
Walplein 26
8000 Brugge
Belgium
050 33 26 97

http://www.halvemaan.be/eng/Default.htm

 

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