Brasserie d'Achouffe, nestling in the beautiful Ardennes countryside close to Houffalize in the province of Luxembourg, is a real micro-brewery success story. It has a portfolio of just two regular and two seasonal beers but has also brewed under contract for clients such as drinks shop owners and trade organisations. Its beers are marketed in a professional manner and, despite the hefty price tags, there seems to be an ever-increasing demand for its products.

As many as 10,000 "tourists" visit the brewery and its busy bar built on the back of the brewhouse) per year and this accounts for almost 8% of the brewery's total sales, no doubt taking advantage of the Ardennes as a popular holiday area.

Unlike most microbreweries, which depend largely on very local allegiance to their products, Achouffe has found that around 66% of its output is destined for export - surprisingly, even to countries such as Russia and Lebanon! Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that they sell more in Holland than they do in Belgium. The latest news in this export area is the appointment of a distributor in Taiwan who will sell the products on to Japan, Hong-Kong, China and other countries in the far east.

In the late 1970s brothers-in-law Chris Bauweraerts and Pierre Gobron decided they wanted to run a brewery and sell their own beer. They eventually founded Brasserie d'Achouffe in 1982 with the first brew, 49 litres, on 27th August. Initially the brewery was run very much as a serious hobby with 1983 seeing a total production of just 40hl. However, in March 1984 things took an upward swing when Pierre gave up his job as a production manager of an ice-cream factory to work full-time at the brewery. That year it produced 240hl and also changed its brewplant for one of 700 litre capacity

The business went from strength to strength. In 1986 it bought the farm which currently houses the brewery, and production had increased to 900hl. In 1988 Chris left his computer engineers job to help push the production to 2,000hl and this year saw its first export order go to Canada.

The brewery bar was opened in April 1990 and more investment came in 1991 with a new plant of 5,500 litre capacity. This was fully operational in 1992 and production that year climbed to 5,000hl. The final part of that story took place in June 1993 when the new fermenting room was completed.

But things started moving again in 1996 as production increased to 11,000 hectolitres from a 65 hectolitre brewplant. Plans are advancing for more investment in 1997 with the installation of a new bottling plant on a site 4km away from the brewery, on the N30. This will necessitate transporting the beer there by tanker, but the bottling line, purchased from Chimay, will have the capacity of 90 hectolitres an hour which is 12,000 75cl bottles an hour !! On the brewing side, production has been enhanced by the acquisition of a computer controlled yeast generator, which allows them to produce the required amount of yeast, at the correct concentration, very quickly and to have it available exactly when it is needed. The yeast is cultured in fresh wort piped in to a holding tank from the mash tun.

Their two best known beers - La Chouffe and McChouffe - have a very impressive, exceptionally clean taste and are both also quite spicy. A lot of the taste can be put down to the water used, which comes from a local spring, one of the highest in Belgium. The spicy character is surprising considering McChouffe has no added spice and La Chouffe contains only coriander.

So what is a chouffe? It has become generally accepted that the red-hatted, long-bearded gnome, seen everywhere, is a chouffe. That is not quite correct since they are just what they seem, red-hatted, long-bearded gnomes, or dwarves. The Chouffe name is derived directly from the village name Achouffe. However, shrewd marketing has turned them into a particularly effective company logo and they are used very liberally - you can't miss them. Gnomes are apparently a popular part of the local folklore and they have served Achouffe well by giving them an easily recognised identity and a powerful marketing tool.

To find the brewery you will have to travel well into the Ardennes in Luxembourg province, leaving the A26 at junction 51 to Houffalize and heading north on the N30. A short distance from the town you take a left turn in the direction of Achouffe and Wibrin. Achouffe is the first village you come to, and the brewery is unmissable.

In addition to the four stock beers, the brewery has produced a number of special beers which are not for sale at the brewery as they are brewed under licence and the client has the sole selling rights. La Vieille Salme is the only special beer currently produced (8.3% alcohol by volume) - an excellent, interesting and quaffable ale with a strong apple character, which is well worth seeking out from certain outlets in the town of Vielsalm and at the brewery's taverne/restaurant.

THE BEER RANGE

Bière de Mars

7.5% Alc/Vol. Available in 75cl crown corked bottles.

Achouffe's Easter beer, first brewed in 1998. A very full tasting, refreshing beer that is just bursting with fresh, fragrant hops throughout.

Chouffe Bok 6666

6.666% Alc/Vol. Available in 75cl crown corked bottles.

Available in only limited quantities as it is brewed for the Dutch market and also the American market where it is known simply as Chouffe Bok.

It is unusually short lived for an Achouffe beer apparently being best drunk at just three months and certainly by six months. It is reminiscent of a Dutch bock beer with a spicy hop aroma and a malt based palate tempered by some hops. It is surprisingly warming for a beer of just 6.666%

La Chouffe

8% Alc/Vol. Available in 75cl crown corked bottles and on draught. When in 1.5 litre bottles it is known as Big Chouffe

Excellent, characterful, refreshing ale which, for a microbrewery, is very consistent. Amazingly drinkable for its strength, with a fresh citric hop aroma and a very spicy palate with lashings of lemon and lime hops. Addition of some sediment increases the graininess of texture and adds to the spice. It has a clinical character not usually found in artisanal beers. First brewed in 1982. Known as Chouffe Royale when served with creme de cassis and Chouffe Imperiale when served with the 38% Mandarine Napoléon.

McChouffe

8.5% Alc/vol. Available in 75cl crown corked bottles and on draught.

Apparently the idea for McChouffe came from a Scottish friend of the brewers. Interestingly the brewery describes it as an abbey brown. Although it is hardly in the strict tradition of a scotch ale, we like to think of it as a Walloon spiced equivalent. It has an unusual blend of fruit, malt and a strong herbal element in the nose. The palate is full, rich and complex with a spicy herbal character and a strong roasted, chocolate malt taste.

N'Ice Chouffe

10% Alc/vol. Available in 75cl crown corked bottles.

Achouffe's winter beer, first brewed in 1993, which is best drunk at one year old but will keep for five years. Comes in nice screen printed bottles. Has a rich, fruity, spicy, burnt malt aroma with a rich vinous fruit palate dominated by a strong burnt malt element.

Brasserie d'Aubel

Towards the end of 1996 Achouffe bought a controlling interest in Brasserie Piron. The brewery has been renamed Brasserie d'Aubel and full scale was scheduled to start towards the end of 1997, but the beer is still being brewed in Achouffe. A Bioreactor will be used as the fermenting system that, according to the brewery, allows them to complete the fermentation in just 24 hours and to produce very fruity beers. Instead of adding invert sugar for the secondary fermentation in the bottle, they will add 8% apple juice, making the most of the fact that Aubel is in Belgium's apple region.