Ancienne malterie de la distillerie Claeyssens

Whispers of “bistouille” drift on the air here at the Ancienne malterie de la distillerie Claeyssens. This place, steeped in history, once fueled the hard-working miners and textile workers of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. The Ancienne malterie de la distillerie Claeyssens began its life in 1789 in Lille. The Claeyssens family, originally from Belgium, relocated their oil mill to Wambrechies. They transformed it into a jenever distillery in 1817. The Ancienne malterie de la distillerie Claeyssens stands as a testament to their ingenuity. They recognized the perfect conditions here: the Deûle canal for transport, the water mill for power, and local farms for raw materials. The demand for jenever, or “gin français,” was booming, driven by the harsh working conditions of the industrial revolution. The distillery expanded in 1850 to meet this thirst, taking on the form we see today. Much of the original equipment still remains within these walls. It’s a remarkable collection of machinery that helped earn the Ancienne malterie de la distillerie Claeyssens a place on the Inventory of Heritage in 1999. The distillery buildings themselves followed suit, receiving their own heritage classification in 2000. The production process, designed by family friend and engineer Henri Lessen, was remarkably automated for its time, a true feat in 1817. Even the steam engine of the mid-19th century couldn’t completely replace the ingenuity of the original design. The Ancienne malterie de la distillerie Claeyssens continued to thrive, even taking on production of its former rival “Le Genièvre de Loos” in 2000. This distillery has weathered economic downturns, including the decline of the textile and mining industries that fueled the demand for its jenever. Today, the Ancienne malterie de la distillerie Claeyssens continues to produce a variety of spirits. It offers guided tours, inviting visitors to experience its rich history.