| Chimay (abbey Our Lady of Scourmont) |
In brief... |
| 1850 | A community of monks, from St Sixtus, arrives in Chimay. |
|---|---|
| 1859 | Demolition of the building of the farm-school, at the end of 1859. The work is organized so that stones, bricks, and frames are recovered and used for the construction of what will become the new brewery... |
| 1861 | In November 28th, an officiel authorization is obtained to create a brewery. |
| 1862 | The building of the brewery is completed. |
| 1863 | Official start of the production of beer. A "double bavaria beer" is created, but will not be maintained. |
| 1875 | The first batches of "tarred beer" are sold (tarred beer was a "strong beer" sold in tarred barrels) |
| 1915-1919 | The production is stopped because of the first world war. |
| 1920 | The production of beer is started again, as well as sales. The "strong beer" sold at that time, needed to be kept between 18 and 24 months in cellars before it could be sold. |
| 1942 | Monks leave the abbey, because of the german invaders. |
| 1944-1945 | It is decided to completely redesign the brewery, and the professor De Clerck, from the univeristy of Leuven, is required to help improve the processes of production, regarding the most up-to-date techniques. |
| 1948 | The prototype of what will soon become "Chimay Blue" is launched. |
| 1955 | A commercial agreement is signed : the sales of the beers of Chimay in Belgium are under the responsibility of the brewery "de la Perle". |
1959 |
Father Theodore becomes brewer. The next brewers will be Father Vinel and Father Thomas, who dies in 2000. |
1978 |
Racking is transferred in November 1978 to the industrial zone in Baileux, a few kilometers from the abbey. |
1989 |
The brewing room is remodeled... |