Het Anker Gouden Carolus Brewery Tour

Brouwerij Het Anker is a family-run brewery at Guido Gezellelaan 49 in Mechelen, in the Antwerp province of Belgium's Flemish Region. The operator, Brouwerij Het Anker, produces the Gouden Carolus range of ales, which are named after a gold coin from the time of Emperor Charles V, who was raised in Mechelen. The brewery grew from a medieval beguinage brewhouse, and its buildings sit close to the Beguinage district a short walk from the centre of Mechelen. The guided tour lasts about one and a half hours and follows the brewing process from raw ingredients to finished beer. Visitors pass through the brewhouse with its copper kettles, the fermentation and storage areas and the bottling hall, and learn how the Gouden Carolus Tripel, Classic, Ambrio and Hopsinjoor are made. The tour finishes with a beer tasting, usually in the brewery's own tasting room or restaurant. The ticket, priced at roughly €12 to €18 per person, includes the guided tour and the tasting; meals in the on-site restaurant, additional drinks and shop purchases are extra. Tours run in several languages, commonly Dutch, English and French, and groups are generally small to medium sized, with individuals joining scheduled departures. The pace is moderate, with some standing, and the route includes stairs. The tasting is beer-based, so visitors who do not drink alcohol should ask for a soft drink; vegetarian food is available in the restaurant. The brewery also makes a Gouden Carolus whisky from its own distillery, which can be sampled or bought at the shop. Some tours are limited to groups booked ahead, so checking the schedule before travelling from Brussels or Antwerp is wise. Mechelen sits between those two cities, with frequent train connections, making the brewery an easy half-day addition to a Flemish city trip.