Cristal Alken pilsner

Cristal is a renowned Belgian pilsner with a deep history rooted in the town of Alken. It was first brewed in 1928 by the Alken brewery, marking it as the first pilsner-style beer produced in Belgium. The brand quickly became a staple of Belgian beer culture, specifically in the Limburg region.

Over the decades, the ownership of the Alken brewery shifted through various mergers. In 1988, Brouwerij Alken merged with Brouwerij Maes to form Alken-Maes. Today, Alken-Maes is part of the global brewing giant Heineken N.V. Despite its international corporate ownership, Cristal remains a quintessentially Belgian product, brewed primarily at the historic Alken facility using local expertise and maintaining its status as a protected geographical indication in the minds of its loyal consumers.