History. If there is one name that cannot be forgotten, for Het Anker, it is Charles. With the Gouden Carolus and the Cuvée van de Keizer, the brewery wanted to pay homage to Charles V, who was raised in Mechelen by his aunt Marguerite of Austria and who was said to be particularly fond of this "Mechelen brown". The first name Charles has also been borne by its managers, including the current Charles Leclef, the fifth generation of the Van Breedam "family of millers" who operated a small distillery at the Molenberg in Blaasveld from 1637 to 1914, before taking over the brewery of the Mechelen beguinage in 1872. More recently, he bought back a brand that had been neglected since the bankruptcy of the Riva brewery: Lucifer. While he was modernizing the brewery in 1990, he had the idea to distill the beer into a fruity and woody whisky in the distillery, from the Gouden Carolus Tripel brew. The brewer has not forgotten his home town of Malines and most of the names given to his beers refer directly to the history of the city. The Maneblusser refers to the nickname that the people of Malinois inherited after a drunkard, whose eyes were probably a little cloudy, thought he saw the Saint-Rombaut tower on fire. The alert was given and quickly the first buckets of water were brought to the top of the tower. Useless effort, since it was the moon that, with its orange reflections, had deceived our drinker.

The guided tour is an opportunity to taste the Malines beers of the house: the Gouden Carolus Classic, pride of the city, and its three little Carolus sisters (Tripel, amber and the bitter Hopsinjoor), the Triple Toison d'Or, the Brune de Malines and the Blusser. Those for whom beer is sacred (and damn expensive too, almost 10 € a beer) can enjoy a "cuvée de l'empereur", brewed every year on the birthday of... Charles V of course! The visit of the brewery can be combined with the visit of the distillery (to taste the famous beer-based whisky), in simple mode or in tasting formula, all in French at certain times (reservation online). And if you feel hungry later on, some dishes are also proposed, because this brasserie is also famous for its plates (gastronomic tasting formulas). On the menu, you can taste local specialties... all with Carolus beer! An originality which is declined for example in farm chicken in the brabantine style with the Carolus Tripel, served with croquettes and caramelized chicory.