JOHN MARTIN
Read moreDiabolici, Dominus (Double and Triple), Gordon Finest (Scotch, Copper, Silver, Red, Gold and Platinum), Gordon Five, Gordon Xmas, Martin's Pale Ale, Martin's Blond Ale, Timmermans beers and Bourgogne des Flandres. (See also Timmermans.) John Martin moved to Antwerp from the UK in 1909, setting up a drinks company which, from 1912, specialised in importing Guinness from Ireland. Martin even managed to persuade Arthur Guinness to brew Guinness Special Export (GXS, 8% abv) specially for the Belgian market.John Martin quickly set up his own communications company and then built a new factory at Genval in 1934. It is no coincidence that the John Martin group soon became known for its strong advertising campaigns and marketing strategies.The move to Genval allowed the company to diversify into the hotel industry. The brewing division's headquarters are still in Genval today. One of the company's flagship beers, Martin's Pale Ale, first appeared in 1950. It is still available today but is now less well known than the Gordon range of beers. The first of these were a Scotch ale and a Christmas beer, which were joined in 1991 by the Finest range. In 1993, the group bought the Timmermans brewery in Itterbeek and its range of sweetened beers, a move which marked a departure from the Martin tradition of selling "British-style" beers. Since 2004, Anthony Martin, John Martin's grandson, has been in charge of the brewing division; his brother, John, runs the hotel business.