In 1624, the city of Watou near Poperinge was granted the privilege of becoming an earldom for the Earls van Yedegem. This family owned the castle of Watou, to which they constructed a brewery. During the French Revolution, the brewery was rebuilt by a local farmer, under the typical Belgian slogan “Revolt all you want, but we still need beer here”. The business was led by the Van Eecke family for a hundred years until the Leroy family inherited the brewery in 1962.
We are proud to feature two ales from Leroy Boezinge Breweries:
* Poperings Hommel Bier – Hommelbier from Poperinge was brewed for the first time in 1981, for the triennial hop festival in the village. Hommel is local dialect for hops, and was the inspiration for the name of this tribute to Poperinge’s most famous export product. Since then, Poperinge’s Hommelbier has earned quite a reputation for itself with beer fans around the world, for its unique style, brewed with 100% hops from Poperinge. This golden ale has a dense white head that invites you to lean in and discover the fragrance of green aromatic hops, yeast and mild fruity notes. A full and refreshing palate shifts to mild citrus, orange and grapefruit, in combination with the hops. The sweet honeyed finish combines a slightly spicy flavor of cumin, ending with a kick of hops. 7.5%ABV
* Het Kapittel Watou Blond – Kapittel Blond is a mild blond high-fermentation beer with secondary fermentation in the bottle. It has a slightly sweet and sour attack, with a mildly fruity palate and hints of citrus and orange. The light finish, combined with the tingle of the carbonation, combines to create a balanced thirst-quenching and refreshing ale. 6.5% ABV
