Brewery Het Anker

Buy your friends a round of Mechelse Felle in Batteliek

Have you ever drunk a fresh, 16th century beer? This has recently become possible thanks to the brewers at Het Anker in Batteliek. Because there they brew Mechelse Felle, a beer similar to what the Beguines might have made for Margaret. Cheers!

Interplay of two crafts

Kristina Loriers: ‘How did Mechelse Felle get its name? The name already existed in the 16th century. You could get the beer far beyond Mechelen’s borders, for example in the inns in Antwerp. ‘Fel’ beer was once a heavy beer, with a higher alcohol percentage. At 6.3%, Mechelse Felle is not such a heavy beer today, but it was in the time of the Burgundian dukes.’

‘Mechelse Felle is a marriage of two crafts: brewing and distilling. That’s because we make a macerate from borage, juniper berry and citrus. And we let the ingredients soak in alcohol, which is a typical distilling technique.’

‘The brewers make Mechelse Felle with red rye, as they did in the past. At that time, it was the cheapest grain that was grown everywhere in our region. As far as the herbs go, Het Anker chose borage and juniper berry: plants that you could find in almost every herb garden in the Renaissance. To that they add citrus, as a symbol of the Italian and Spanish influences, and the exotic export products that came in through the ports.’ 

Jeroen Van Vaerenbergh, The Food Archaeologist

Mechelse Felle stands for celebrating together

Kristina Loriers, Public Relations Coordinator at Het Anker: ‘We brew Mechelse Felle in our microbrewery Batteliek, in the former church of the Mechelen Battel district. We were thrilled by the stories about the festive banquets at the court in the Renaissance, the long tables full of friends and family. Batteliek is a similar type of meeting place. It’s not just a bar and restaurant. You can also come and distill and brew during one of the workshops.’

Brewery and distillery

Het Anker is one of the oldest breweries in Belgium, with roots dating back to the 15th century. At the same location, the Mechelen Beguines brewed beer, also for Margaret of Austria. The Beguines have now disappeared, but the beer is still there.

In 1872, the Van Breedam family bought the site and turned it into a modern brewery. Today, Charles Leclef is the fifth generation to head the family brewery. The Gouden Carolus beers and Gouden Carolus whiskies are now sold in more than 40 countries and have received international awards and recognitions. You will find Het Anker at two locations: the brewery and whisky distillery on Guido Gezellelaan and the microbrewery Batteliek in Battel.

The perfect pit stop

‘My tourist tip for visitors to Mechelen? Without a doubt, the Batteliek terrace, with a view of the canal. A lot of cycling routes pass along this way, so it’s the perfect bike stop.’