Heineken to make Affligem a world brand

In addition to Affligem Heineken also hopes to promote Desperados - a beer with a tequila taste - and Radler - a mixture of beer and lemonade - as world brands.

Heineken's marketing chief Alexis Nasard pointed to the rich history of Belgian abbey beers and their enormous credibility. Affligem is expected to go head-to-head against AB InBev's Leffe. Affligem takes its name from the Benedictine abbey founded in the Flemish municipality of Affligem in 1072. The monks stopped brewing beer in 1940. From 1956 onwards the beer was brewed by outside companies including De Smet of Opwijk in which Heineken took a majority stake in 2000. The brewery then changed its name to Affligem Brewery.

Affligem exists in a blond, double and triple version as well as Patersvat and Affligem 950 Cuvée. The beer recipes are still owned by the Abbey of Affligem.