Gouden Carolus Classic has its origins in the rich Mechelen tradition. Every Belgian city had its breweries and its own city beer. The people of Mechelen drank “den Mechelschen Bruynen”. Mechelen, capital of the Netherlands at that time, had its brewers’ guild and the members stood on their honor as brewers to brew the best beer for the Keizer. An old chronicle from Mechelen reports that this Great Keizersbier, called “Gouden Carolus” after the gold coins of Keizer Karel, was mainly drunk during the fox hunt “as this put both the riders and the horses in full fire and made them gallop so that the hunt always went in the best mood ”.
This “Groot Keizersbier” is still brewed in the Mechelen brewery Het Anker. Dark, very balanced dosed caramel and aromatic malts, combined with a traditional top fermentation, provide a unique beer that combines the warmth of wine and the freshness of beer. This makes it extremely suitable in combination with culinary specialties such as stews, game, pates and even sabayon.
After obtaining previous prestigious awards, this beer was voted the best dark beer in the world in 2012 (“World’s Best Dark Ale”).
