Brewery De Halve Maan in Bruges

The city archives of Bruges recorded the existence of a brewery named Die Maene at the Walplein as early as 1564, establishing the historical location of the site.

Henri Leon Maes became owner of the site and, with the support of his uncle Canon Petrus-Johannes Maes, developed Die Maene into the modern brewery known as De Halve Maan.

Following the acquisition of the site by Henri II and Achère, the brothers invested in a modern steam boiler in 1883, which led to a steady increase in production capacity.

After acquiring the neighboring Brugge Zeehaven brewery, significant renovation works were carried out to accommodate rising production. The complex was expanded to include a coolship, a large malting floor, and a German-style kiln, giving it its current form.

Henri IV launched the Straffe Hendrik beer, named after the generations of the Maes family, to celebrate the inauguration of a statue of Saint Arnoldus in Bruges. The success of this beer marked a key turning point for the brewery's identity.

During the 1980s, the brewery was transformed into a house brewery open to the public. Former bottling plants and the malthouse were converted into taprooms, and Véronique Maes initiated the restoration of the industrial archaeological site.

Xavier Vanneste, current manager and son of Véronique Maes, reopened the brewery in 2005 after a thorough renovation and modernization of the brewing installation. This relaunch coincided with the debut of the Brugse Zot beer.

In 2005, the Brewery Museum of the former De Gouden Boom brewery was relocated to the basement of De Halve Maan following the sale of its original building to property developers.

In September 2016, the brewery inaugurated a 3.2 km underground beer pipeline connecting the production site at Walplein to the bottling facility in Waggelwater. This infrastructure was built to eliminate the need for tanker trucks in Bruges city center.