Have you ever dreamed of replacing the water in the tap with beer? Dream no more and get on a plane to Bruges!
Bruges is know for its old style and traditions. Among the oldest traditions is the brewery De Halve Maan (or Half Moon) in the city centre, producing beer for more than 150 years.
The brewery has turned into quite a success and provides beer to near and far destinations. But as the popularity grew it also created a problem: How do you transport thousands of litres of beer out of a city known for its narrow streets and cobblestone roads?
In the beginning the beer was moved by horse and carriage, later on replaced by small trucks. But today’s vehicles are way to large and cannot fit the narrow streets of Bruges.
Half Moon was therefore forced to make a decision: Move the brewery out of the city centre and break 150 years of tradition or get the beer out of the city without using the roads.
They chose option two, although the roads were technically still being used. Rather than moving the beer on top of the roads it now flows below. Despite being located in a city with very strict regulations the brewery managed to convince the city to dig up 7 km of roads to lay pipelines to pump the beer from the brewery and out to a factory in the outskirts of the city where it could be bottled and transported to its final destination.
It is therefore safe to say that Jørn was a tad excited when he was going for a guided tour here.
The very first sight at the brewery was a hole in the ground covered by a glass cover. Below the glass were two pipes, the famous beer pipes. Despite being one of the biggest tourist attractions in Bruges it was surprisingly quiet and only 7 people attended the guided tour.
The guide explained the process of making beer and the history of the brewery, frequently interrupted by stories from the time before health and safety regulations when the workers were constantly drunk, and that includes the drivers… Other stories from previous tours and other events of the highly politically incorrect sort managed to find their way into the tour frequently as well, making it impossible not to smile. If that is the right thing to do is another discussion, but one thing is for sure: this is not a brewery that takes itself too seriously.
Towards the end of the tour the pipelines returned and we could see where they make their departure from the brewery. The guide said that during the construction of the pipelines there were plenty of individuals volunteering to let the brewery use their land to run the pipelines through, however, it is all laid under public roads. Apparently it leaks a lot less when located there… And yes, there is extensive camera surveillance and a state-of-the-art leak detection system all the way along the pipelines…
The tour ended in the brewery’s bar where one could enjoy a very fresh beer.
Good to know
The brewery is located in the city centre of Bruges and is easy to find.
A guided tour costs 10 euros and lasts for 45 minutes. This includes a beer at the end, so it is great value for money. We recommend going on the first tour in the morning as it is a lot less crowded and you get to see more.
Did you suddenly want to visit Bruges? We have written more about the city here.
