Het Anker

Beer brewing has been an integral part of the town of Mechelen, Belgium since the 15th century, when the local beguinage ran an important hospital where Het Anker’s modern brewery now stands. The Van Breedam family purchased the brewery in 1872, making modernizations such as adding a steam boiler, and in 1990, Charles Leclef, fifth generation of the Van Breedam family, took over the brewery, making further improvements that have continued to reinforce Het Anker’s role as a respected name in traditional Belgian brewing. In 2010, the 17th century family farm in Blaasveld was turned into a whisky distillery that uses these exceptional beers as the starting point for refined, Belgian whisky.