Today, Grimbergen Abbey Brewery, known for brewing delicious and inviting Belgian-style beers, has unveiled a brand new interactive Grimbergen Experience in the unique surrounds of the famous Grimbergen Abbey near Brussels, Belgium.  

The Grimbergen Experience invites visitors to step into the rich world of Belgian beer and takes them on a journey through the history of Grimbergen Abbey and a world of exciting flavours, craft,  innovation and the Monastic art of brewing that has been mastered by the Father’s on the historic site over centuries.

The Experience is creatively set on a mezzanine overlooking the Abbey Brewery. On entry, visitors are given an RFID Smart tag which they are encouraged to use throughout their visit to bring the Experience to life.

As visitors make their way around the experience, they can catch a glimpse of the brewing process which combines brewing traditions drawn from the ancient books of the abbey’s library with new and innovative techniques to craft unique limited-edition batches of exceptional premium beers.

A world of beer
The Experience is a place to dive in and discover a hidden world of flavour and deliciousness. Visitors even get a personalised beer recommendation based on their time in the experience as well as an opportunity to design their perfect beer.

They can learn about the fine ingredients including hops, some of which are grown by the Father’s in the Abbey Gardens; walk through the brewing process from recipe design to bottling and, they might even see Father Karel Stautemas who combines his life as Provisor at Grimbergen Abbey with being Abbey Brewer.  

Speaking as the doors to the new Grimbergen Experience opened, Stephen Stringer, Vice president Craft, Specialty & Alcohol-Free Brews at Carlsberg said: "It is a delight to be here at the opening of the new Grimbergen Experience which has been so beautifully curated.

"This experience takes people on a voyage of discovery into the world of Belgian beer, while telling the story of Grimbergen and our passion for pursuing new tastes and new flavours to create exceptional premium beer.

"I hope those who love Grimbergen beer will come to visit us, take a tour and enjoy what is a very special setting."  

Brewing heritage
Fr. Karel Stautemas, Provisor at the Abbey and Abbey Brewer said: “These are exciting times in Grimbergen. We have created a visually rich experience that explores the brewing heritage of Grimbergen Abbey, the Father’s, and the wider Grimbergen community.

"Visitors will be immersed in a world of flavour and discovery that I hope will enrich their understanding of Belgian beer in general and Grimbergen Abbey beer in particular. It is here, in the heart of Grimbergen that we explore flavors and create our delicious brews and I look forward to sharing our story with very many visitors" 

Visitors to the Grimbergen Experience can book a guide who will share a wealth of information about Grimbergen’s history, the brewing process, and take them to the Abbey Gardens, and of course visitors will have the opportunity to end their visit with a beer tasting.

To complete the occasion, pay a visit to Fenikshof, Grimbergen’s bar and restaurant where visitors can enjoy the unique flavours of Grimbergen beer on tap along with dishes from the restaurant that are perfectly paired with Grimbergen brews. 

The opening of the new visitor experience comes a year after Grimbergen opened the state-of-the-art Grimbergen Abbey Brewery which has restored brewing inside the abbey walls for the first time in centuries.

Carlsberg Group, are the global licensees of Grimbergen, the new Grimbergen Experience was built in a close partnership between the Grimbergen Abbey and Carlsberg Group

For more information about the Grimbergen Experience, Grimbergen Abbey Brewery and Grimbergen beers, visit www.grimbergen.com