Pierre Delcoigne and Grégory Verhelst, both from Hainaut, Belgium, became brewing engineers at the Catholic University of Leuven before each established his own brewery in 2000: Delcoigne founded the Brasserie des Légendes in Ath, while Verhelst set up the Brasserie de Rulles in Gaume.
Delcoigne and his wife, Vinciane, purchased Irchonwelz Castle near Ath, where they installed a brewing setup, naming their beers after local folklore characters like Goliath and Gouyasse.
Initially called Brasserie des Géants, the company was renamed Brasserie des Légendes after acquiring the Ellezelloise Brewery. In 2019, they further expanded by taking over the Biercée distillery.
Brewer adapts to today's changing mindsets
Today, the company employs around 30 people across three production sites, using locally-sourced ingredients including barley from their family farm. Last year, they produced 20,000 hectolitres of beer.
The brewery plans to strengthen its presence in Ath with the opening of a large restaurant in Summer 2026, in collaboration with the Tourism Office and the Museum of Giants. In the meantime, visitors can enjoy the Bouffonneries, a family-friendly medieval event happening on Sunday, 8 June, at the Irchonwelz Castle Brewery.
At this event, Pierre Delcoigne will reveal his latest creation: a non-alcoholic beer (0.45%). “Society today is very different from 25 years ago,” Delcoigne notes. “Mindsets are changing, road checks are more frequent and stringent… and even we, as brewers, are not chasing after alcohol. We love making a fermented product with aromas, hoppy notes…”
Embracing moderation
About 200 kilometres away in Rulles, Grégory Verhelst opened his brewery on 10 June 2000. His beers, named after the nearby river, are crafted without spices, using only fundamental ingredients like barley, yeast, water, and hops.
Before the Novel Coronavirus pandemic, Verhelst’s brewery sold 3,500 hectolitres of beer, but demand has since declined across Europe, resulting in the current production level of 2,500 hectolitres annually. Over one-third of this is exported, mainly to Italian restaurants and cafés.
Verhelst organises the Brassigaume Beer Festival every autumn in Marbehan, attracting around 3,500 visitors eager to explore small European and Belgian breweries.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Brasserie de Rulles will host events on Saturday and Sunday, featuring concerts and the launch of their new low-alcohol beer (2.5%).
Such beers enjoy growing popularity in Belgium and beyond, as craft breweries continue to embrace moderation, a far cry from the Rulles Grande 10, with its 10% alcohol, brewed for the brewery’s 10th anniversary.
