A chimney: a paltry remnant of a renowned brewery

Only the round factory chimney is a reminder of the renowned brewery 'De Sleutel' of the Smedts – Verstreken family. They were already owners in the 19th century. The chimney dates back to the 1930s when the brewery grew strongly and investments were made in a "steam brewery". At the time, the brewery was the largest employer in the village. Exports were mainly to beer blenders in Flanders and Wallonia. The brewery had about 140 depots. In 1979 the activities were stopped.
Well-known beers were: Bets-pils, Christmas Bets, Export, Super Bock, Bets-Ale and especially Templar. The well-known lemonade Betsina was also produced.
The brewers are said to have invented the second fermentation in the bottle. To this end, a little extra sugar was added during bottling and the bottles were placed in a warmer place for some time.

Jan Rymenams