Belgium
Westmalle names the tripel
The abbey’s strong pale ale, refined into its modern form in the 1950s, gave an entire Belgian style category its name and its reference example.
1956
Why it matters
One brewery’s product designation became a worldwide style name, which is how a substantial share of beer taxonomy actually happens.
How well this is established
| Certainty | Well attested. Broadly agreed across sources, though the precise dating or detail may vary between them. |
|---|---|
| When | 1956. Known to the year rather than to the day. |
| Where | Belgium |
Styles this shaped
Traditions
- Belgian abbey and Trappist brewing — Strong, highly attenuated, bottle-conditioned ales built on expressive yeast and candi sugar, produced in or licensed by monastic communities.
Either side of this
← 1955: British brewing consolidates into national groups · 1959: Nitrogen dispense is developed for stout →
See the whole sequence on the beer history timeline.
Last reviewed 2026-08-16.