Brouwerij Het Anker

Het Anker is a brewery in Mechelen set in the Grand Beguinage, beside the Dijle, known for the Gouden Carolus. As well as beer it distils malt whisky and has a brasserie, a shop and a hotel of about twenty rooms on the same site.

A brewers' house for five generations

The brewery itself places its roots in the 15th century, when beer was already being brewed at the beguinage. The Van Breedam-Leclef family took it over in the 19th century and has run it ever since, for five generations; today it is run by Charles Leclef. The Gouden Carolus beers come from here, named after the Emperor Charles V, who grew up in Mechelen, and other house brands such as Maneblusser, Boscoli, La Cambre and Batteliek, as well as the Gouden Carolus malt whisky.

Everything is on the same brick site: the brewhouse, the cellars, the brasserie, the shop and the brewery hotel. It is a working brewery, not a museum, and the tour goes through the spaces where the work is done.

The tours

The guided tour, the Enjoy Tour, lasts about an hour and a half, sometimes up to an hour and three quarters depending on the group, and ends with a tasting of two Gouden Carolus and a small gift. It is given in Dutch, English or French, at fixed times on weekdays and at weekends, and only with a guide: you cannot go round the brewery on your own. You must arrive ten minutes early, because anyone arriving late may not be let in.

There are also special formats: the Burgundian Mechelen experience and stays with the brewer, which combine a hotel night and a tour. Groups can ask for a private tour from 10 people on weekdays and 25 at weekends.

Beware if you have reduced mobility or a pushchair: the tour has more than a hundred steps and no lift, so the brewery and the distillery are not accessible. The brasserie and the shop are. Dogs are not allowed on the tour.

Brasserie, shop and booking

The brasserie serves Flemish cooking, with dishes stewed in beer; its beef stew is also prepared in a vegan version. Tables are booked online. The shop sells the house beers and whisky, and also has an online shop.

Tours, tables and rooms are booked on its website. Tour tickets are neither exchanged nor refunded, so it is wise to choose the day carefully. The website is in Dutch, English and French.