After trying to visit the original Stella Artois Brewery in Leuven all year (the tour books out months in advance), I was finally able to go on Saturday.
In comparison to other brewery tours I’ve been on, like the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam, this was much less of a curated experience. Instead, we were given neon construction vests and walked through the factory.
The tour was about an hour and half, followed by two free Stellas at their bar, and a giftbag with three different types of beers.
Fun Facts:
- Stella Artois was originally called the Den Hoorn brewery founded in 1366 in Leuven, Belgium. This is why there is a horn in the logo.
- A master brewer, Sebastian Artois, bought Den Hoorn and changed the name to Artois.
- When Artois released a new Christmas beer, called Stella Artois (stella meaning star), it was extremely popular. The name stuck and was officially changed to “Stella Artois.” You can still see a star on every bottle today.
- Stella Artois is enjoyed for its fruity malt sweetness, crisp hop bitterness, and soft dry finish. We learned the secret is in the yeast, and that’s what truly differentiates all beer.
- Stella should be enjoyed from a narrow lipped, tulip shaped glass with a stem (to keep your beer cooler longer).
- Stella Artois is the second largest sponsor of Brev’s team, The Stella Artois Leuven Bears.
The Jo Show 