Belgium

Pierre Celis revives witbier

Belgian witbier had ceased to be brewed. A former milkman who had worked at the last wit brewery in Hoegaarden restarted production from memory and historical practice.

1966

Why it matters

An extinct style became one of the most widely brewed categories in the world, and the modern style is a reconstruction rather than a survival.

How well this is established

Certainty	Documented. Supported by contemporary records that survive and are agreed on.
When	1966. Known to the year rather than to the day.
Where	Belgium

Styles this shaped

Witbier4.5–5.5% ABV
A Belgian wheat beer brewed with unmalted wheat, coriander and orange peel — soft, hazy, citrusy and lightly spiced.

Traditions

Belgian and French farmhouse brewing — Seasonal farm brewing in Wallonia and French Flanders that produced saison and bière de garde.

Either side of this

← 1965: Fritz Maytag buys Anchor Brewing · 1971: CAMRA is founded →

See the whole sequence on the beer history timeline.

Last reviewed 2026-08-16.