Brewery Overview
Brasserie Dubuisson was founded in 1769 by Joseph Leroy, an ancestor on the maternal side of the current owner, Hugues Dubuisson. In its current location, eight generations of Dubuisson brewers have passed on their skills father to son, and this family-owned brewery remains independent to this day. In fact, the family brewing tradition goes back even further. Before 1769, Joseph Leroy and his team brewed beer in Ghissegnies Castle, directly opposite the current brewery. The Austrian Holy Roman Empress, Maria-Theresa, put an end to the unfair advantage enjoyed by castle breweries, who were exempt from paying tax. And, when in 1769 a general prohibition on castle breweries was declared, Joseph Leroy decided to set up his own brewery in what is still the home of the Dubuisson Brewery’s. Joseph established himself as an independent farmer-brewer, a small operator brewing the beer enjoyed by the local farm workers. It wasn’t until many years later, in 1931, that Alfred Dubuisson closed down the farm to become a full-time brewer. With his brother, Amédée Dubuisson, he bought his parents’ farm-brewery and renamed the business Brasserie Dubuisson Frères. Between its foundation in 1769 and the year 1931, European history marched past this little farm business. Napoleon’s troops put up their tents here at the start of the 19th century. The brewery was requisitioned by the Germans in 1914 (and then again in 1940). However, the Dubuisson family turned their fortunes around every single time, re-building their premises and renovating their equipment.