Brasserie Verschueren

© Hannah Casier | Brasserie Verschueren

Brasserie Verschueren is neither a brewery, nor the type of restaurant that has been abusing the French word brasserie for well over a century… It does however have a past that justifies the name, and a couple of unique beers interesting enough to visit this bar the next time you’re near Parvis de Saint-Gilles!


Brasserie Verschueren already opened in 1880, serving the gueuze and kriek—and fruit liqueurs—brewed in the neighbouring street Rue de l’Eglise Saint-Gilles. When the bar was renovated in Art Déco style in 1935, the family brewery was still going strong, and it was only in 1986 that the brewery operations ceased. After a new owner butchered the facade and drove the bar into bankruptcy, it even closed for a couple of years. Luckily, in 1998, the bar was restored in all its glory, and it is now a listed building.

Tripel & Saison

The beer menu is quite limited, certainly by Belgian standards: four beers on draught, six bottled beers… However, there are two excellent beers you won’t find anywhere else: the Verschueren Saison and the Tripel Verschueren. The house Saison is brewed by Brouwerij De Ranke, and is available on draught. The house Tripel is a tweaked version—so not just a label beer—of Brasserie de la Senne‘s Jambe-de-Bois, and is available in bottle. The Tripel Verschueren is for sale to take home as well, even by the crate!

As mentioned, Brasserie Verschueren definitely isn’t a restaurant, and only has some bar snacks to offer. You’re quite welcome to bring your own food though, from one of the many establishments around the Parvis de Saint-Gilles, for example!


tl;dr

Beers

  • Verschueren Saison by Brouwerij De Ranke on draught
  • Tripel Verschueren by Brasserie de la Senne in bottle

Bites

  • Crisps, cheese, sausage, or whatever you bring yourself
Brasserie Verschueren
Parvis de Saint-Gilles 11
1160 Saint-Gilles

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