History

In 1993, 11 volunteers became the founders and organisers of the Schaerbeek Beer Museum Association. The unused former technical section of the school in rue de la Ruche was entrusted to them by the Commune of Schaerbeek.

One of the founder members loaned his collection of around 300 bottles of Belgian beers which was the start of the museum collection. From that moment, the regular search in breweries, street markets and amongst private collectors for machinery, tools, documents, publicity material, bottles, glasses etc. began.

The museum was officially “christened” on the 26th March 1994 and opened to the public. It consisted , then, of two rooms and a small bar.
Two years later on the 22nd March 1996, a new room with an enlarged bar was inaugurated.

Nowadays, the museum offers a collection of over 2500 bottles and +/- 5000 glasses: old beer-making machines, coopers’ tools, pub and beer signs, and various publicity materials, old documents…from existing or defunct breweries.