Alfa Brewery
Family-owned Dutch brewery using a certified underground spring.
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Alfa Brewery, also known as Alfa Brouwerij, is a family-run independent brewery in Schinnen, the Netherlands. Joseph Meens founded it in 1870, and it remains one of the few independent breweries left in the province of Limburg.
For its first ninety years, Alfa sold beer only locally. After 1960, distribution expanded across the Netherlands, and from 1993 onward the brewery began exporting to Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Greece, Italy, and Hong Kong. Alfa has also brewed for other companies, including the unfiltered pilsner Puur for Bier Fabriek.
The brewery adheres to the Reinheitsgebot and is the only Dutch brewery to use a certified underground spring. The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport certified this spring in 1995 and retests it every six months to confirm it meets strict standards.
Only ten such springs exist in the country, and Alfa’s is the sole one used for beer production. The water is so pure that it requires no treatment before brewing. Because only a limited amount of water can be drawn each year, the brewery numbers its bottles to track usage.
Alfa has received a Royal Warrant by Royal Decree from Queen Beatrix in 1995, gold medals at the 31st and 33rd Monde Selections in Brussels, and an award at the 1999 UK Beer and Cider Competition.
Lore & Background
Alfa Brewery was established in 1870 by Joseph Meens in Schinnen, Limburg. Until 1960, its beers were only available locally, but distribution later expanded across the Netherlands. Since 1993, Alfa has also exported to Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Greece, Italy, and Hong Kong.
The brewery has produced beers for other companies, such as the unfiltered pilsner Puur for Bier Fabriek. Alfa adheres to the Reinheitsgebot and is the only brewery in the Netherlands to use an officially certified underground spring. The spring was certified by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport in 1995 and is retested every six months.
It is one of only ten such springs in the country and the only one used for beer production. The water is so pure that it requires no processing before brewing. A limited annual withdrawal amount is permitted, leading Alfa to number its beer bottles to ensure compliance.
Reader's Guide
Alfa Brewery holds a distinctive place in Dutch brewing as one of the few independent breweries left in Limburg and the only brewery in the Netherlands to use a certified underground spring. This spring, certified by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport in 1995, provides water so pure that it enters the brewing process untreated. The limited annual water withdrawal has led to the unique practice of numbering beer bottles to control usage. Alfa's adherence to the Reinheitsgebot further underscores its traditional approach.
The brewery received a Royal Warrant by Royal Decree from HM Queen Beatrix in 1995, and its beers have earned gold medals at the 31st and 33rd Monde Selections in Brussels, as well as an award at the 1999 UK Beer and Cider Competition. Originally a local brewer until 1960, Alfa now distributes throughout the Netherlands and to several international markets since 1993, including Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Greece, Italy, and Hong Kong. It has also produced beers for other companies, such as Puur for Bier Fabriek.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Alfa Brewery (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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