To mark the 175th anniversary of Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey in Chimay, Hainaut Province, the brewery run by the Trappist monastery is offering its famous Chimay beer in cans for the first time ever.
This initiative by the Chimay Brewery is aimed at revitalising the brand’s image amid market pressures and an audience that is predominantly over the age of 40.
Before being launched in Europe, the Chimay can was tested in the United States and Japan, markets more familiar with canned beverages.
In Belgium, about half of all beer is consumed in bottles, 21% from kegs, and just under a third from cans, a segment Chimay is eager to tap into.
In Belgium, cans are traditionally associated with lighter Pilsner beers, not brewed at Chimay. “The challenge was ensuring that this move did not damage our brand,” the company commented. “We did not want to alienate current consumers while trying to bring in new ones who might be tasting Chimay for the first time in a can.”
Chimay’s core audience is aged 45 and over. “We wanted to create varied drinking experiences and offer the convenience of portable beer,” said Pierre-Louis Dhaeyer, the new CEO of the brewery and the adjoining cheese factory. Cans also provide better preservation for the brew.
Only three of Chimay’s five varieties will come in 33-centilitre cans: the Dorée (4.8% alcohol), Rouge (7%), and Triple (8%).
“The Blue (9%) and Green (10%) are not beers meant to be drunk in three gulps,” noted the CEO.
