Brasserie iLLeGaaL

What Brasserie iLLeGaaL does

Brasserie iLLeGaaL (legal entity: Brasserie Illegaal SRL, BE 0765.455.803) is a Brussels-based craft brewery and cultural venue founded in 2017 and operating from its permanent site at Rue Bollinckx 300, Forest, since April 2022. The company produces approximately nine craft beer SKUs — including Golden IPA, Sociaal Hoppy Lager, KHOP Killer New England IPA, Piels Pils-style lager, Tropicaal Silky IPA, 6 Roses alcohol-free IPA, Schnelle Dunkel München-style dark lager, Puff Weisse, and Club Raté Bio Tri-Maté soda — alongside limited-edition merchandise (hoodies at €50, tees at €25, all screen-printed by Printactif). Distribution runs through four channels: an on-site taproom, the company's own e-commerce shop, the MyBeerBox marketplace, and a wholesale inquiry pipeline to retailers.

The business model extends well beyond brewing into cultural programming. The Bollinckx venue houses three spaces — La Brasserie (indoor taproom), Le Hangar et la cour (outdoor courtyard), and Le Studio — and acts as a hub for underground electronic music, DJ nights, dance battles, festivals (ILLEGAAL Festivaal editions #1-#3 plus a Brazil Cerveja & Arte edition), live sessions, film screenings, fanzine releases (the Bollinx series), and exhibitions. Ticket revenue is a primary stream, with tiered pricing (early bird, presale, door, solidarity) typically ranging €5-€18. Partnerships anchor the curatorial layer: Quality Nights and the Love Team (Plan Sacha) supply safer-space labeling and care teams for events, while a stable of Brussels-based and international collectives (Recyclart, Ateliers Claus, Niveau4, Radio Vacarme, High Jinks Delegation, Mighty Patch Dubwise) program the music calendar.

The company is privately held with no institutional investment, PE, or parent entity disclosed, organized as a Société à Responsabilité Limitée. It employs six people and serves two overlapping primary segments: craft beer enthusiasts seeking artisanal, artist-labeled product, and the Brussels underground music/culture scene seeking inclusive nightlife venues. A tertiary B2B segment — event organizers, DJ collectives, and corporate/private event hosts — book the venue spaces. The operating geography is concentrated in Brussels/Belgium with documented prior activity in São Paulo (2018) and a Belgian-wide roadshow in 2020.

Name

Brasserie iLLeGaaL

Legal name

Brasserie Illegaal SRL

Website

https://brasserie-illegaal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Brasserie iLLeGaaL is a Brussels craft micro-brewery and underground cultural venue that produces ~9 limited-batch beers and hosts ticketed music, film, and art events, serving craft beer enthusiasts and the Brussels alternative nightlife community through its taproom, online shop, and event programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Alcoholic Beverage Tours & On-site Experiences (Brewery/Winery/Distillery) (THAFALAK)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Artisanal beer
• Cultural venue
• Live events
• Branded merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Forest, Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales: Sale of craft beers including IPAs, lagers, and specialty beers in cans and possibly on tap. Main product lines: Illegaal (Golden IPA), Sociaal (Hoppy Lager), KHOP killer (New England IPA), Piels (Lager), Tropicaal (Silky IPA), 6 Roses (Alcohol Free IPA), Club Raté (Soft drink), Schnelle (Dark Lager), Puff (Weisse Beer).
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including hoodies (Sangoku at €50) and t-shirts (ILLEGAAL Feestje limited edition at €25), printed by Printactif.
3. Event Tickets and Venue Entry: Revenue from ticketed events including concerts, DJ nights, festivals, and dance battles. Variable pricing model with tiered tickets (early bird, presale, door). Events like Metropolis Open Air at €15, dance battles with prize money, and various themed nights.
4. Taproom and On-site Consumption: On-site beer sales at the Bollinckx venue, including tap sales at events and during venue opening hours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Brasserie iLLeGaaL is an independent Brussels craft brewery producing a rotating lineup of artisanal beers (IPAs, lagers, a non-alcoholic IPA, a Weisse, and a botanical soda) with artist-designed labels, sold via its own online shop, the MyBeerBox marketplace, on-site taproom, and wholesale channels. It simultaneously operates the Bollinckx cultural venue in Forest, Brussels, hosting concerts, DJ nights, festivals, dance battles, film screenings, and art exhibitions as a companion to its beer production.

Product overview

Brasserie iLLeGaaL is a craft brewery and cultural venue in Brussels offering a portfolio of craft beers including IPAs (Golden IPA, New England IPA, Silky IPA), lagers (Hoppy Lager, Piels, Dark Lager, Weisse Beer), a non-alcoholic IPA (6 Roses), and a craft soda (Club Raté). The brewery also operates as an art and cultural space hosting events, festivals, film screenings, exhibitions, and performances. Merchandise including custom-printed apparel and merchandise is available through their shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Illegaal: Core beer brand featuring original Golden IPA and other craft beer styles. Beer lineup includes: Illegaal (Golden IPA, 5.2% ABV), Sociaal (Hoppy Lager, 5.8% ABV), KHOP killer (New England IPA, 6.2% ABV), Piels (Lager, 5.6% ABV), Tropicaal (Silky IPA, 6.2% ABV), 6 Roses (Alcohol Free IPA, 0.4% ABV), Club Raté (Soft Tri-Maté Bio soda), Schnelle (Dark Lager, 5.2% ABV), Puff (Weisse Beer, 5.2% ABV).
• Bollinx
• Love Team
• Partner-Ship

Products and services

• Illegaal Golden IPA A golden IPA (5.2% ABV) with resinous and floral character from a subtle blend of hops and malty notes, available with 24 artist-designed can labels. Targets craft beer enthusiasts seeking distinctive, collectible, artist-branded artisanal beers.
• Sociaal Hoppy Lager A crunchy, well-hopped lager (5.8% ABV) with round mouthfeel and light, fruity, and floral hop aromas. For craft beer drinkers who prefer lagers with character.
• KHOP Killer New England IPA A blonde New England IPA (6.2% ABV) where bitterness, cereals, and fruity aromas intertwine. For craft beer drinkers seeking hazy, fruit-forward IPA styles.
• Piels Lager A Pils-style lager (5.6% ABV) with a 6-week lagering process and a touch of rice for lightness and thirst-quenching qualities. Restores nobility to the Pils style for consumers seeking easy-drinking craft lagers.
• Tropicaal Silky IPA A hazy, high-oat IPA (6.2% ABV) with softness and smoothness; hot and cold hopping produces minimal bitterness while revealing exotic aromas. For consumers seeking smooth, tropical-style hazy IPAs.
• 6 Roses Alcohol Free IPA A non-alcoholic IPA (0.4% ABV) delivering full taste, finesse, and pleasure. For consumers seeking alcohol-free craft beer for low-key evenings, mornings, or health-conscious occasions.
• Club Raté Bio Tri-Maté Soda A Bio Tri-Maté soft drink with hibiscus, mango, and caramelized notes plus a subtle smoky, refreshing touch. Low-sugar botanical soda for consumers seeking non-beer alternatives at events and venues.
• Schnelle Dark Lager A Dunkel München-style dark lager (5.2% ABV) with pronounced malty character, round roasted and chocolate notes, and surprising drinkability. For consumers seeking dark craft lagers.
• Puff Weisse Beer A German-style Weisse (5.2% ABV) characterized by banana and clove esters. Brewed to celebrate the centenary of the Dawes Plan and the Franco-Czechoslovak alliance.
• Christmas Pack A seasonal gift pack of Brasserie iLLeGaaL beers available during the Christmas period for gift and consumer purchase.
• Brewery Tour A guided tour of Brasserie iLLeGaaL's brewery facilities. For consumers and groups seeking a behind-the-scenes experience of an independent craft brewery and cultural venue.
• Sérigraphie (Screen Printing Service) Custom screen printing on textiles including t-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, caps, and socks, with artwork from iLLeGaaL collaborators and produced by Printactif. For individuals and brands seeking custom printed apparel.
• T-Shirt Limited Edition ILLEGAAL Feestje A limited edition black T-shirt with the ILLEGAAL FEestje print, made in Brussels by Printactif and sold at €25. For fans, event attendees, and merchandise collectors.
• Hoodies Sangoku Sangoku hoodies in Black or Red, available in sizes S, M, L, XL, printed in Brussels by Printactif and sold at €50. For fans and merchandise buyers.
• Bollinckx Venue Events (Concerts, DJ Nights, Festivals, Dance Battles, Film Screenings) Ticketed cultural and nightlife events at the Bollinckx venue in Forest, Brussels — including concerts, DJ nights, festivals (ILLEGAAL Festivaal series, Brazil Cerveja & Arte), dance battles, art exhibitions, and film screenings. Many events are Quality Nights labeled with on-site Love Team safety staff. For adult attendees of Brussels underground music and alternative culture.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PrintactifcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerScreen printing partner for all merchandise. Printactif is a screen printing and embroidery workshop on textiles based in Brussels. All t-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, caps, and socks are produced by Printactif with designs by iLLeGaaL artists.
• Quality NightscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSafety and harm reduction labeling partnership. Quality Nights is a label for safer nightlife spaces that provides trained care teams, free water, earplugs, safe sex kits, and info on safe transportation. Many events at Illegaal are Quality Nights labeled.
• Love Team (Plan Sacha & Quality Nights)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOn-site care team for event safety. Love Team is trained to assist attendees in case of need and ensures a harassment-free environment.
• Various Film MakersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm support partnerships including Fils de plouc (2021), Seb de Buyl's Spectre (2020), and Camille de Leu's NOVEMBRE (2020). Support is liquid, material, or financial. Supported films have won awards including Prix Arte at FIFF Namur.
• Various Music Collectives and ArtistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnerships with collectives including Radio Vacarme, High Jinks Delegation (Chouette ASBL), Mighty Patch Dubwise, Stadskanker, and many others for festival programming. Annual festival collaborations with Recyclart, Ateliers Claus, Niveau4, Dragon Eliott, En Silence & F-Sharp.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brasserie de la Senne: Brussels-based craft brewery producing traditional and hop-forward Belgian beers with strong local distribution. Comparable as a Brussels craft peer competing for the same on-premise and retail shelf space.
• Brussels Beer Project: Brussels-based craft brewery with a community-driven, experimental approach and taproom presence. Highly comparable as a same-city, similarly themed craft brewery targeting a younger, urban consumer.
• Brasserie Cantillon: Brussels-based traditional brewery and museum/tour destination. Comparable as a Brussels brewery that combines brewing with cultural/tourism activation at a single venue.

Broad incumbents

• BrewDog: Global craft brewery with a large bar/venue network. Comparable as a craft brewery that combines beer production with owned taproom/experience venues.
• Mikkeller: International craft brewery with multiple bars and venues globally. Comparable as a brewery-plus-bar operator with artistic collaborations and event-driven programming.
• Duvel Moortgat: Large Belgian independent brewery with multiple craft and mainstream brands. Comparable as a Belgian brewery operating across craft and mainstream tiers with strong on-premise presence.

Regional players

• Girardin: Belgian family-run brewery producing lambic and gueuze. Comparable as a Belgian craft/traditional brewery targeting similar craft consumers and tourists.
• Tilquin: Belgian craft producer of blended lambics and gueuze. Comparable as a Belgian craft beer competitor with similar small-batch character and direct-to-consumer channels.

Others

• Printactif: Brussels-based screen printing partner for Brasserie iLLeGaaL's merchandise. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem partner enabling the brewery's branded apparel and screen-printing service line.

Emerging players

• Kompel Brewery: Belgian microbrewery producing small-batch craft beers. Comparable as a similarly small Belgian craft operator competing for taproom and local retail customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/illegaalbelgium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brasserie-illegaal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brasserie iLLeGaaL