Bavik Pils, Ezel, Petrus, Pilaarbijter, Wittekerke
Bavik brewery opened in 1894. Situated in in Bavikhove near Harelbeke in Flanders, it is one of the oldest breweries still trading in Belgium. It is also one of the few of any size to have stayed independent. The current generation of family members in charge is the fourth since the brewery was founded.
It is well known for its Bavik pils, a distinctive beer quite different from the big-name pils on the market. It won an award recently from Test-Achats (the Belgian consumers' association) and the Flemish newspaper, Het Nieuwsblad.
It also brews special beers including its Petrus range (see below) and the more recent Pilaarbijter blond and bruin. And there is a range of white beers too: Wittekerke, Wittekerke spéciale and Wittekerke rosé. The canned version of these was awarded a gold medal in Reno in the United States.
A more recent addition to the company's range is a golden Kwaremont, a top-fermented beer that is sweet, spicy, full-bodied and 6.6% abv.
Finally, it still produces a series of table beers, including a Faro and a Pony-Stout, and sells water and soft drinks branded as Bon-Val and Eaumega.
Bavik has invested €3 million in its brewery since 2007 (a new brew-house, fermentation tanks and a racking line for kegs). All this has doubled brewing capacity to about 400,000hl.
This article appeared in the guide Belgian Beers 2012
