Description

Viven is an artisanal brewery in Damme near Bruges. We make batches of IPA, Smoked Porter and Experimentum ... Viven was originally founded in 1999 by Willy De Lobel and was called Chapel of Viven, the blonde, and Monastery of the Viven, the brown. The recipe was developed by Willy De Lobel. In the absence of a brewery, Willy wandered through the Flemish hinterland in search of professionals who could brew his recipe. His journey ended when he found Dirk Naudts' brewery called “De Proefbrouwerij”. There Dirk and his employees continued to perfect the Viven brewing process. In 2003 Willy De Lobel decided that it was time to pass his demanding hobby on to a young and ambitious entrepreneur. In the small village of Sijsele, Willy found an enthusiastic successor in the person of Tony Traen, the son of the local liquor merchant Cyril Traen, who decided that beer was an asset to his company and has since taken on the task of continuing the beer tradition. Since then, the Viven Chapel has seen several changes: a brand new look, an improved recipe for the Viven Monastery and a new name. Viven Chapel and Convent were christened Viven Blond and Viven Brown. In 2009 the time was ripe for an expansion of the Viven range. Tony pursued the idea of applying our Flemish art of brewing to non-Flemish beers and together with Dirk he developed the recipes for the promising Viven Ale, Viven Porter and Viven Imperial IPA. These extraordinary beers, which would really seduce any beer connoisseur, were successfully launched on the beer market in 2010, making them accessible to a wider audience of beer lovers.