Back in the late 1970s, two brothers-in-law crafted a blonde Belgian beer with a hint of coriander using pure water from a stream that runs through the Valley of the Fairies.
In 1982, they set up a little brewery in the pretty Ardennes village of Achouffe. Brewed without additives, La Chouffe has steadily grown into one of Belgium’s most successful beers. In this remote spot deep in the forest, the Brasserie d’Achouffe now produces more than 20,000 litres every day.
You can book an organised tour of the brewery that ends up with a tasting session in a rustic lakeside chalet. Or drop in for lunch in the brewery restaurant.
La Chouffe appeals to beer drinkers all over the world, mainly because it is an excellent beer, but also because no serious beer drinker can resist the chirpy little gnome with the pointy red hat on the label.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
