Brewery St.Bernardus

Name

Brewery St.Bernardus

Legal name

Brouwerij Sint-Bernard NV

Website

https://sintbernardus.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brewery St.Bernardus is a privately held Belgian abbey-style brewery founded in 1946 in Watou, West Flanders, producing premium beers (Pater 6, Prior 8, Abt 12, Tripel, Wit) distributed to 80+ countries, complemented by visitor experiences, hospitality, and branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Belgian Abbey Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Belgian abbey beers
• Craft brewery
• Beer tourism
• Brewery tours
• Branded merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Watou

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales: Sale of branded beers in bottles (33cl, 75cl), cans (33cl), and kegs (20L). Includes core range (Pater 6, Prior 8, Abt 12, Tripel, Wit, Christmas Ale, Extra 4, Watou Tripel) and limited editions (Magnum 1.5L, collab beers). Revenue from global distribution to 80+ countries.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including clothing (T-shirts, hoodies, cycling jerseys), glassware (15cl, 25cl, 3L), accessories (bottle openers, bike bottles, keychains), and collector items (books, posters, Christmas ornaments).
3. Brewery Tours: Guided tours of the brewery with tastings. Online booking through Resengo system. Includes 2 tastings at Bar Bernard. Photography permitted.
4. Guesthouse Brouwershuis: Overnight accommodation at the brewery guesthouse with breakfast. Friday-Saturday check-in until 6pm, Sunday-Thursday until 5pm. Checkout by 11am.
5. Bike Rental: Cycling experience with bike rental for exploring Westhoek region. Reservations with deposit required.
6. Gift Vouchers: Digital or physical gift cards redeemable for brewery tours, bike rental, webshop purchases, and guesthouse stays. Available in denominations from €5 to €250.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brewery St.Bernardus brews and bottles a portfolio of traditional Belgian abbey-style beers, ranging from core year-round labels (Pater 6, Prior 8, Abt 12, Tripel, Wit, Extra 4, Watou Tripel, Tokyo) and seasonal/limited editions (Christmas Ale, Magnum, Mathusalem) to alcohol-free variants (Tripel 0.0) and collaborations (Kombine). Around the beers, the company sells branded merchandise, glassware, draught equipment, and gift vouchers, and runs a visitor economy comprising the flagshipstore, Bar Bernard, Tokyo Café, guided brewery tours, bike rentals, and Guesthouse Brouwershuis accommodation.

Product overview

St.Bernardus is a Belgian brewery producing a range of traditional abbey-style beers, visitor experiences, and branded merchandise. The core product portfolio consists of abbey beers: Pater 6 (6% ABV), Prior 8 (8% ABV dubbel), Abt 12 (12% ABV strong), Tripel, Wit, Extra 4, Christmas Ale, Tokyo, Tripel 0.0 (alcohol-free), and Kombine (collaboration with Weihenstephan). Annual limited edition Magnum bottles (1.5L) of Abt 12 feature unique artist labels, available individually or in a collector's box. Visitor services include brewery tours, bike rentals, Bar Bernard tasting room, and Guesthouse accommodation. The Flagshipstore and webshop sell beer, branded merchandise including glasses, textiles, cycling gear, draught equipment, and gift vouchers. The brewery distributes to over 80 countries worldwide and holds World Beer Awards for Prior 8 and Tripel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kazematten: Beer brand available alongside St.Bernardus and Weihenstephan products in the brewery shop
• Weihenstephan Import
• Bar Bernard
• Guesthouse Brouwershuis
• Flagshipstore

Products and services

• St.Bernardus Pater 6 Year-round Belgian abbey-style dubbel beer (6% ABV) brewed by Brewery St.Bernardus using its proprietary yeast strain and soft local water, sold via distribution to hospitality and direct via webshop and flagshipstore.
• St.Bernardus Prior 8 Year-round Belgian abbey-style dubbel beer (8% ABV) brewed by Brewery St.Bernardus and distributed through international partners and direct channels.
• St.Bernardus Abt 12 Flagship year-round Belgian abbey-style quadrupel beer (10% ABV) from Brewery St.Bernardus, multi-award-winning and distributed globally.
• St.Bernardus Tripel Year-round Belgian abbey-style tripel beer (7.5% ABV) brewed by Brewery St.Bernardus.
• St.Bernardus Wit Year-round Belgian-style witbier from Brewery St.Bernardus.
• St.Bernardus Christmas Ale Seasonal Belgian abbey-style winter ale released around the Christmas period by Brewery St.Bernardus.
• St.Bernardus Tokyo Year-round Belgian abbey-style beer named after Brewery St.Bernardus's Tokyo Café; distributed to hospitality and sold direct.
• St.Bernardus Extra 4 Year-round Belgian abbey-style blond beer (4% ABV) from Brewery St.Bernardus.
• St.Bernardus Watou Tripel Belgian abbey-style tripel beer from Brewery St.Bernardus named after its hometown of Watou.
• St.Bernardus Tripel 0.0 Alcohol-free (0.0% ABV) Belgian-style tripel beer from Brewery St.Bernardus.
• Kombine Collaboration beer launched by Brewery St.Bernardus with a partner brewery.
• St.Bernardus Abt 12 Magnum Limited-edition large-format (Magnum) bottle release of the flagship Abt 12 beer, targeted at collectors and gift buyers.
• Collector's Box Abt 12 Magnum Limited collector's gift box bundling the Abt 12 Magnum release, marketed to collectors and gift purchasers.
• St.Bernardus Mathusalem Limited-edition extra-large format bottle release from Brewery St.Bernardus for collectors and special occasions.
• Brewery Tour Guided brewery tour experience at the Watou brewery for visitors and tourists.
• Guesthouse Brouwershuis Brewery-operated guesthouse accommodation for visitors to the Watou brewery site.
• Bike Rental Bike rental service offered to brewery visitors as part of the on-site visitor experience.
• Bar Bernard On-site brewery bar serving St.Bernardus beers and hospitality to visitors.
• Tokyo Café Brewery-branded café concept on the brewery site serving St.Bernardus Tokyo and related offerings.
• St.Bernardus Gift Voucher Purchasable gift voucher redeemable across St.Bernardus beers, merchandise, and on-site experiences for gifting purposes.
• St.Bernardus Merchandise Branded merchandise line sold through the webshop and flagshipstore to consumers and gift buyers.
• St.Bernardus Apparel Branded apparel products (textiles) sold under the St.Bernardus merchandise range.
• St.Bernardus Cycling Gear Sport and cycling-related branded merchandise sold by Brewery St.Bernardus.
• St.Bernardus Glassware Branded beer glasses sold through webshop and flagshipstore for both consumer and on-premise hospitality use.
• St.Bernardus Draught Equipment Branded draught equipment offering supplied by Brewery St.Bernardus to hospitality partners for serving its beers on tap.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced water usage from 16L to 6L per liter of beer through new rinsing machines and process improvements
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Weihenstephan BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Weihenstephan (world's oldest brewery, founded 1040) for collaborative beers. St.Bernardus has been official importer of Weihenstephan beers in Belgium for almost 10 years. Collaboration beers include Braupakt (2024, brewed at Weihenstephan) and Kombine (2025, brewed at St.Bernardus). Braupakt 2024 is a strong, filtered top-fermented blond beer (6.5% ABV) brewed under Reinheitsgebot standards.
• BelhopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHop farm partnership with Bart Boeraeve (5th generation) in Poperinge, located just 3km from brewery. Source for experimental hop varieties and climate resilience research. Farmers welcome visitors for farm tours.
• Derycke Hop FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHop field located right next to the brewery, managed by Anne-Laure De Tavernier and Chris Derycke (new generation). Video content available showing hop cultivation from A to Z through every season. Farm open for visits.
• Forena (formerly Sowepo)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSocial enterprise from Poperinge that packages gift sets for St.Bernardus. Provides precision work with a big heart, while brewery offers long-term partnership supporting the work floor and region.
• Local Associations (vzw De Lovie, vzw De Letterhop)minorOthersProceeds from St.Bernardus events support organizations like vzw De Lovie and vzw De Letterhop, which provide opportunities for people with additional care needs.
• Jonas DevachtminorOthersYoung Belgian illustrator from West Flanders who created the artwork for St.Bernardus Tokyo can. Previously worked in studios in Brighton and New York. Illustration depicts Japanese nightlife in Kanda district.
• Various Artists (Magnum Edition)minorOthersAnnual Magnum edition features different artists. Past artists include Rik Vermeersch, Gampaolo Amoruso, Christian Silvain, André van Schuylenbergh, Bernard Pras, Kamagurka, Pjeroo Roobjee, Christophe Malfliet, Bart Ramakers, José Vermeersch, Hervé Martijn, and Kalbut. All artworks become part of brewery's permanent art collection.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brasserie d'Orval: Belgian Trappist brewery with single flagship abbey ale and tightly controlled distribution. Comparable in abbey brewing tradition, scarcity-driven brand power, and export-led model.
• Brewery Ommegang: US brewery (Cooperstown, NY) producing Belgian-style ales including abbey ales. Comparable in replicating Belgian abbey brewing tradition for international consumers and capturing the same customer segment.
• Duvel Moortgat: Belgian brewery group behind Duvel, Vedett, and Chouffe. Comparable Belgian strong-ale specialist with global distribution, premium positioning, and on-site visitor experience at the Breendonk brewery.
• Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan: World's oldest brewery and St.Bernardus' collaboration partner/importer relationship. Comparable heritage-rich brewery with global distribution and complementary style portfolio.
• Allagash Brewing Company: US craft brewery known for Belgian-inspired ales (White, Tripel, Dubbel). Comparable in style portfolio, independent ownership, sustainability focus, and award-led brand-building.
• Brasserie de Rochefort: Belgian Trappist brewery producing dark abbey-style ales. Direct peer in Belgian abbey beer category with overlapping distribution channels and comparable premium positioning.
• Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtus): Belgian Trappist abbey brewery whose original Pater 6, Prior 8, and Abt 12 were originally brewed under licence by St.Bernardus in 1946. Closest historical and stylistic comparable with shared heritage.
• Bières de Chimay: Belgian Trappist brewery with a portfolio of abbey ales and international distribution. Closely comparable in product mix, abbey heritage, and global premium presence.
• Brouwerij De Halve Maan: Historic Bruges-based Belgian brewery (Brugse Zot, Straffe Hendrik). Comparable family-owned Belgian craft brewer with strong tourism/experience component and premium export brand.

Broad incumbents

• AB InBev: Global brewing incumbent owning Belgian heritage brands (Leffe, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois). Overlaps in Belgian-style category and distribution scale but operates as a mass-market portfolio rather than a specialty abbey brewer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/stbernardus
• Facebookfacebook.com/St.Bernardus.beer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brouwerij-st-bernardus
• Instagraminstagram.com/stbernardus

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 Brewery St.Bernardus