Spéciale Belge
Buy spéciale belge at Belgian Beer Heaven
Spéciale belge is a classic Belgian beer style with a history of more than 100 years. At Belgian Beer Heaven you’ll find over 20 spéciale belge beers. Browse the selection above, pick your favourites, and enjoy these benefits:
- Ordered before 12:00, shipped the next working day
- Compact and sturdy packaging
- Shipping includes insurance against glass breakage
The origin of spéciale belge ale
At the start of the 20th century, Belgian family breweries mainly produced dark, top-fermented beers. The competition from Eastern European pilsners (bottom fermentation) and amber British ales worried the Union of Belgian Brewers so much that it organised several competitions, calling on fellow brewers to create a “bière type belge”.
73 brewers took part during the 1905 World’s Fair in Liège. The winner was the amber-coloured Belge du Faleau by Brasserie Binard from Châtelineau (part of the Walloon city of Châtelet). The beer became so popular that other brewers copied the recipe and released it under names such as “Bière Belge”, “Belge”, “Spéciale Belge”, “Spéciale”, or “Ale”.
Spéciale belge characteristics
Spéciale belge is an amber beer and is often comparable in alcohol strength to a pilsner. The flavour is richer and fuller, partly thanks to caramelised malt, mineral-rich water, and soft aromatic hops. The choice of yeast also plays a major role in shaping the beer’s character.
Well-known spéciale belge beers
Several Belgian breweries produce a spéciale belge that’s recognised as a regional specialty, including:
- Bolleke by Brewery De Koninck (Antwerp)
- Palm by Brewery Palm (Flemish Brabant)
- De Ryck Special by Brewery De Ryck (East Flanders)
Other well-known examples include Kwak by Brewery Bosteels, Super 8 Flandrien by Brewery Haacht, and Gouden Carolus by Brewery Het Anker.
