Leffe () is a beer brand owned by InBev Belgium, the European operating arm of the global

Anheuser–Busch InBev Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, commonly known as AB InBev, is an American-Belgian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium. AB InBev has a global functional management office in New York City, and regional headquarters in ...

brewery giant. There are several beers in the range, and they are marketed as abbey beers. They are brewed in large quantities and are widely distributed.

History

The

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conce ...

of Leffe was founded in 1152 on the river

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

in the province of

Namur Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namu ...

in southern Belgium. Like many monasteries across

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, the

Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...

(Norbertine) canons of the brewed ale, starting in 1240. Leffe-building

The abbey has been damaged by both natural and human circumstances over the years: the

river flooded the brewery in 1460, and six years later a fire damaged the abbey, but by the 17th century it prospered. The brewery was confiscated by the state in 1796, and in 1809, after making beer only in limited quantities, it was closed. The old kettles were melted down for the weapons industry during World War 1. In 1952, the production of beer was continued, when Father Abbot Nys, helped by brewer Albert Lootvoet, brought a brown ale to market. The brewery was later bought by the international beer company

Interbrew Interbrew is subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV is based in Breda, Netherlands. It has one subsidiary, Ambev S.A. of São Paulo, Brazil. Brands Interbrew brands have historically included Budweiser, Stella Artois, Boddingtons, Beck's, Star ...

(now AB InBev). Leffe was then brewed in

Mont-Saint-Guibert Mont-Saint-Guibert (; wa, Mont-Sint-Wubert) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2012, Mont-Saint-Guibert had a total population of 7000. The total area is which gives a population densit ...

until Interbrew closed that brewery. Now all Leffe brands are brewed at the Stella Artois brewery in

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

. , there were five

top-fermented Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be done in a brewery by a commercial brewer ...

brands made under the Leffe brand. Royalties are paid to the abbey. The Leffe museum in the town of

Dinant Dinant () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Namur Province, province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south ...

, known as

Maison Leffe Maison (French for "house") may refer to: People * Edna Maison (1892–1946), American silent-film actress * Jérémy Maison (born 1993), French cyclist * Leonard Maison, New York state senator 1834–1837 * Nicolas Joseph Maison (1771–1840) ...

, is open to visitors.

References

External links

Official website

Notre Dame de Leffe Abbey
{{Anheuser–Busch InBev AB InBev brands Belgian beer brands Belgian brands 1152 establishments in Europe Dinant