Leffe Brewery began when the Leffe monks of the Premonstratensian Order began growing hops, milling grain, and brewing at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe in Belgium’s Namur Province during the 13th century. After surviving a flood of the Muese River in 1460 and then a major fire 6 years later, the brewery began to prosper in the 17th century. Leffe earned a reputation for the quality of its beer and the brewery was enlarged and renovated at this time. In 1796 the abbey was declared the property of the state, although brewing continued in a limited capacity until 1809. At some point during World War I, the original brew kettles were melted down for ammunition. Following World War II, Father Abbot Nys decided to revive beer making on the premises. With the professional assistance of brewer Albert Lootvoet, Leffe brown ale was reintroduced in 1952. Interbrew—now AB-InBev—later purchased the Lootvoet operation in Overijse, Belgium. Today AB-InBev produces five top-fermenting “abbey” beers bearing the Leffe label: blonde, brune (or Leffe dark), Leffe 9°, triple, and radieuse (also known as vieille cuvée). All five are now made at a much larger Stella Artois facility in Leuven with Abbaye Notre-Dame de Leffe receiving royalties from their sale. The Leffe beers are filtered and tend toward sweetness on the palate. Backed by the market reach of the world’s largest brewer, Leffe beers are now available in more than 60 countries worldwide. AB-InBev maintains a small museum opposite the abbey that can be toured from April to October. Many of the buildings that are still standing at the abbey, including the church, date to the 17th and 18th centuries.

See also abbey beers and belgium.