Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan

We took an early tour on a Saturday morning for English speakers. It was a good tour, featuring history and scenic views in addition to just brewing. The day we were there, they weren’t even brewing in the shiny new vessels, but our guide did a good job of explaining. You start in the modern brewery, where they insist on brewing so they can say that it is from Bruges, even though they ship it in trucks (until their tunnel is built) to have it pasteurized and bottled a few kilometers away (still in Bruges but outside the canal). You then climb through the history, up to the top where you can climb on to the roof for amazing views of the city. You walk across a copper floor that was used for cooling. You see pictures of how they used to deliver beer in horse carts around the city. You see where they used to roast their hops. You climb down past tanks and tanks that are built in the walls in such a way that they’d be impossible to move. Finally down into the basement where you see pictures of a new employee being christened in the dregs of a barrel. The tour ends in a busy tasting room that doubles as a restaurant. You can taste many additional beers, not just the free one that comes with your tour. Throughout the tour, we felt like we had plenty of time and appropriate group sizes for the spaces we would stop in. Once we got to the tasting room, it felt like we were just being pushed through. There is space outside to enjoy your beer, but the wifi is spotty outside.

This was a pretty decent tour and describes the whole brewing process very well. The beer is alright, not particularly my favorite. I will say that the price for the brewery tour with the beer included is a very reasonable price. I recommend this to anyone interested in learning about the process of making beer.

Tour was definitely the bare bones of brewing process. At least half of it was completely related to the history and a guide of the historical brewing process (not in use today). Was a decent use of an hour and the beer is super good!
I’d recommend grabbing a beer here and reading some history on your own about the actual brewery.

After seeing this in Rick Steve’s travel video on Bruges and Brussels, I knew I had to come! This establishment boasts to be the only family owned brewery in Bruges.
I went on the brewery tour which was 8,50 € and included a glass of their blonde Brugese zot (which means the idiot of Bruges). Our tour was from North America, and she showed us around the brewery, telling us the story of how the brewery and its family got its start, how beer is made, what goes into the Brugese Zot beer and the history of the building that we were in. The tour completed on the roof of the brewery, and I got to take some beautiful photos of the city! Definitely worth going to and seeing!

We came here for the brewery tour and had the most hilarious tour guide. It was fantastic and well worth the price, especially considering you get a beer at the end and a rooftop view of the city. Stayed for the included beer, plus a couple more. Highly recommend.

A must see if you enjoy beer. It is a walk through time with a fantastic ending with a great beer!
Our tour guide was exceptional. The view from the roof is worth the price of admission.

The brewery tour of the last existing family brewery in Bruges was extremely interesting. The tour was only 45 minutes (so you don’t get bored) and included a trip to the rooftop with a beautiful view of the city. Additionally, at the end of the tour guests are given a complimentary blonde beer which was delicious. Worth the 8.50

Superbe visite grâce à Roland le guide francophone en plus une bière fraiche offerte légèrement trouble car peu filtrée. À faire sans hésitation

Having visited the fascinating and unique Cantillion brewery in Brussels earlier on our trip, we had kind of figured that De Halve Maan would be a different beast altogether. It’s definitely more touristy, more corporate, and more slick. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
With guided tours running every hour in Dutch, French and English, you’ve got a good chance of showing up without a booking and getting on the next tour. And at 7.50 euros it’s not a bad price, especially as there’s a glass of Brugse Zot Blond thrown in.
Our guide was a North American called Maggie, who was perfectly pleasant and very tour guidey (being a former one myself I empathised and recognised her tricks of the trade). She gave a quite brief explanation of how everything works, this isn’t the place to go if you’re interested in the specifics of brewing, but the history of the brewery makes up for that. As does the view from the roof! My brewing enthusiast boyfriend wasn’t quite convinced by every ‘fact’ she stated, but if you don’t know anything about brewing then you’ll definitely enjoy the tour.
The brasserie attached is good too. We came back the next day for a beer, and lunch, mostly because we were struggling to find any actual pubs in Brugge (ones that were either open at lunchtime or not packed to the rafters), as opposed to tea rooms (Brugge is full of tea rooms). The two course market menu is 19 euros, which considering most of the main courses are around 18 – 20 by themselves, is a pretty good deal.
As a way to kill a couple of hours, and for anyone interested in Belgian beer, a visit to De Halve Maan is definitely worth doing when in town.

En ballade sur Bruges, nous avons trouvé cette endroit pour prendre un déjeuner, bon, juste copieux, végétarien, et à un prix très raisonnable pour l’endroit et la qualité de la nourriture.
En effet, c’est la brasserie du musée de la bière Bruges Zot.
La partie consacrée au restaurant du musée respire une ambiance assez moderne, mais qui a tout de même un charme fou.
En effet, la salle est très grande, avec ses grandes tablées, sa hauteur de plafond et ses grandes fenêtres qui donnent une vue sur les Canaux de Bruges.
A cela, nous pouvons ajouter la partie du restaurant un tantinet plus lounge et cosy avec ses quelques tables rondes, ses fauteuils de cuir, et sa cheminée allumée lors des journées froides d”hiver.
Le personnel est sympathique, parlant volontiers en français ou anglais.
Concernant, le miam miam, nous avons pris un plat composé de croquettes de fromages, accompagné de frite et d’une salade. L’assiette est joliment présenté et les quantités sont assez suffisantes pour laisser de la place pour déguster une bonne gaufre juste après !
A noter que nous pouvons voir depuis le restaurant les énormes cuves de la bière Bruge Zot

Historical brewery of Bruges… The Last one still producing beer in Bruges city center. It’s the perfect place to learn something about beer production and drink a wonderful Brugse Zot or Straffe Hendrik beer. Brewery visit available in English and French, 8 € ticket. While visiting the charming medieval romantic Bruges… stop for a beer. They also have a good restaurant inside the brewery.

Really nice spot. Another place that could be hard to find if you’re not looking for it. The beers here are the Zot beers. They were excellent. There is space to sit in outside as well as an inside area. It was a great spot!

Très chouette visite dans ce musée de la bière !
Nous sommes arrivés juste à temps pour la visite francophone (vous avez le choix aussi avec l’anglais et le néerlandais). Et c’est parti pour 45 minutes de découvertes des lieux avec des explications sur la fabrication de la bière d’autrefois et d’aujourd’hui dans une bonne ambiance :)
C’était très intéressant, je conseille de le faire au moins une fois et vous pourrez déguster une délicieuse bière artisanale brugeoise: la Brugse zot (ou «les fous de Bruges») à la fin de la visite, en terrasse ou dans la belle et spacieuse brasserie.
Tout cela pour le prix de 8 € (bière comprise) ;)
De plus, on monte sur les toits du bâtiment d’où l’on peut avoir une très jolie vue sur la ville, ce qui a pas mal de charme…

Esta genial! Explican todo el proceso de elaboración de la cerveza en un tour muy interesante que incluye una terraza en lo alto con preciosas vistas sobre Brujas.
Al final te dan una caña de Brugse Zot, que puedo decir que fue la cerveza más rica que he probado hasta ahora! La cerveza no sale de la propia fábrica, directamente a tu vaso!
El tour cuesta 8 euros y hay a cada hora, eso sí, tenéis que estar preparados para subir y bajar escaleras complicadas, incluso de espaldas!

We visited this brewery while visiting Brugge in April. We couldn’t visit Belgium and not go see a brewery! We arrived in the late afternoon and were able to purchase tickets for the last English tour of the day. We waited in the shop until our tour started, and were then led into the brewery by our tour guide, who happened to originally be from the US. The tour was very reasonably priced and includes a beer from the brewery at the end of the tour. The beer was delicious and we enjoyed it outside in the courtyard. You can also sit indoor at the restaurant which serves lunch for a few hours in the afternoon.
The brewery itself was incredible. It was interesting to learn about the history of the brewery as well as the actual beer-​making process. Due to the age of the brewery, there were a lot of narrow halls and steep staircases that we had to navigate during the tour, but that made it pretty fun and gave you a lot of insight into the lives of the brewery workers back in the day. They recently installed a new modern system for brewing, but it’s nice to see that the old machinery has been kept in tact to preserve the brewery’s history. This brewery is definitely a must-​visit if you are in Brugge!

Average brewery tour, the tour guide was nice and informative. Getting to see the old and the new brewing machines was cool. Would have been even better to see the brewing in action. I’m used to tours being free so was a little surprised to have to pay. You do get a beer at the end but you don’t get to choose which one you drink. Would do it again, but I really enjoy Belgian beer so that doesn’t say everything

Nette kleine Brauerei mit schönem Hof. Die Brauereibesichtigung haben wir nicht gemacht, Leute mit denen wir gesprochen haben, waren jedoch sehr angetan.
Das Bier ist lecker und preislich im Rahmen.
Die Preise im Shop finde ich persönlich übertrieben. Aber ist auch eher für Touristen gedacht, die einfach ein Mitbringsel suchen.

We decided to take a tour of the brewery on our visit to Brugge. The tours in English seem to run on the hour starting at 11:00 until 16:00. We had Maggie as our tour guide and she was great. You do climb up a few floors with a great view of the city on the roof as the pay-​off. The tour of the brewery was really interesting to see and then you are given a a glass of the Brugse Zot Blond to enjoy after our tour was complete.

The location of the brewery inside of Bruges forces the equipment to be spread in more of a vertical fashion than is usual, which lends to its uniqueness. You go up and down stairs reviewing the process and looking at brewing antiques from six generations of brewers. The roof gives a high view of the city from a different angle than the central square spire.
Beer is excellent, most famous brand in Bruges.

Something interesting to do while in Brugge. This is the last brewery in the city center and is still operated by the original family. The tour is not expensive and take about an hour. During the tour you not only get to see the way they brew beer today, but also the way they’ve brewed throughout history, a lot of the old equipment is still there.
You will also get to go up onto the roof of the brewery for a very nice view of the city.
Your ticket also includes an unfiltered beer at the end of the tour that is only availible at the brewery’s own café.

A good mornings, interesting visit.
For 7.50 Euros per person a tour with informative talk about the history of the Maes family and brewing techniques.
The old with the new. Original brewing machinery with the more modern techniques. Finalising with a view of brugge from the roof of the building.
Steps and steep stairs would be impossible for the more infirm, but if you can make it, worth the effort.
Then to sample the wares. Included in the entrance fee is a glass of pils.
Nice restaurant for a lunch.

The brewery tour at the Huisbrouwerji De Halve Maan was by far the best brewery tour I’ve been on. I loved my tour guide, the tour group was full of friendly people. The view from the top was fantastic as was the glass of Bruges Zot at the end.
Here’s a tip for solo travelers (as I was) — go and ask the bartender questions about the beer and whatever else you might be curious about. I ended up having a great conversation with the bartender and the tour guide about brew and life. They also served me many other tastings which was the equivalent of at least two additional free beers.

If you know about beer and, really, anything about the brewing process, then you won’t learn anything new on their tour. The tour guides theatrically cater to the folks who arrive in Bruges and say, «Oh, beer is a thing in Belgium? Who knew!»
With that said, go on the tour anyway because you’ll eventually make your way to the brewery’s roof and the view of the city is great. Maybe even better than the Belfry. Additionally, the tour includes a full beer, their blonde (not remarkable, but refreshing and solid all the same), at the end, so it winds up being a pretty good deal.
I recommend grabbing a table outside! Less crowded and better people watching and atmosphere.

Si vous êtes un amateur de bières, c’est à né pas manquer. La bière est vraiment sublime et l’endroit est d’un chic qui colle avec la beauté de Brugge. Je n’ai pas fait la visite de la brasserie malheureusement car nous étions en fin de journée. Reste que la Triple et quadrupel ont largement compensées :) Cheers

Das wichtigste zuerst: das Bier aus eigener Herstellung schmeckt.
Ich fühlte mich aber leicht abgefertigt, obwohl viel Platz für viele Gäste vorhanden sind und die nicht annähernd voll ausgelastet waren. Empfehlenswert für große Gruppen, die nicht viel Wert auf Auswahl legen.

Yeah, it’s touristy. But I don’t care. This is a great brewery with delicious beer and what appeared to be a fantastic menu. We knew from a friend’s previous trip that this was a must but we didn’t realize they had such a delicious menu or we would not have previously had a meal.
The inside brewery is beautifully decorated with bottles all up the high ceilings, but we were there for the fantastic patio and beer. Sitting in the sun and enjoying a deliciously fresh brewed Belgian beer in fantastic Bruges. It doesn’t get much better.
You can opt for a brewery tour as well.
You have to really figure out how to get there, but it’s worth it!

Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan was one of the highlight of our Day in Brugges.
The tour that costs 7.5 Euro and ended with a full glass of Brugse Zot in the brewery pub area. And if you are not really a drinker or still having a hangover from the night before, you can always have a cup of tea, pop or a wake me up coffee!
The tour itself was a little different from the other tours I have been to since it concentrated more on the ancient brewing process and set up. So a little historical background of De Halve Maan which started brewing since 1856 and the city of Brugge itself.
If you are not into brewery tour, you can just go straight to the pub and just get few of their beers to drink while you waiting for your friends!
Just remember Straffe Hendrik’s Tripel ABV 9% and Quadrupel ABV 11% are both deceivingly smooth and go down easy but high in ABV!

Una visita imprescindible en Brujas, la única fábrica de cerveza en activo que queda en toda la ciudad.
Ofrecen visitas guiadas muy interesantes y didácticas, además tiene el añadido de que se sube a la terraza del edificio, desde donde se tiene una preciosa panorámica de la ciudad.
Tras la visita se incluye una copa de cerveza Brugse Zot en el bar de la fábrica, donde además se puede tomar algo de comer, o comprar en su tienda alguna de las botellas de las diferentes cervezas que fabrican allí, incluyendo algunas con tiradas muy limitadas, difíciles de conseguir en otros países.

Enchantée de cette visite pleine d’humour et de bonne humeur, je né suis pas fan de bière, mais mon mari l’est et nous avons passé un très bon moment.

La brasserie est connu pour être la dernière de Bruges à faire sa bière sur place. J’y ai dégusté la Brugge Zot (ou un truc du genre) et elle était délicieuse.
Je conseille de la gouté non filtrée (disponible uniquement dans la brasserie) car elle est encore meilleure qu’en bouteille. Nous avons aussi fait la visite (5.5EUR par personne de souvenir) durant 45 minutes et cela était très intéressant.