Belgium - Breweries

De Koninck Brewery is a Belgian brewery based at the edge of the city of Antwerp. On this boundary between Antwerp and Berchem, in front of De Plaisante Hof inn, stood a stone boundary post showing a put-up hand which was token for the merchants entering the town to pay toll. This 'toll hand' now shows on the De Koninck Brewery logo.
On the 26th June 1827, Joseph Henricus De Koninck, bought De Plaisante Hof inn. However, he died soon afterwards and his widow Elisabeth remarried Johannes Vervliet who bought back the inn with the inheritance in 1833. He turned the inn into a brewery which he named 'De Hand', after the toll sign mentioned earlier. By the time Johannes Vervliet died in 1845, the brewery's name was successful and it's beer had become well known.
The name De Koninck appeared for the first time with Vervliet's stepson, Carolus De Koninck, who carried on with the business. When he died in 1883, he was succeeded by his son François Joseph, and later by his daughter Josephina Joanna, as head of the family business. Sales were consistently good and the barley-based beer had become the most popular drink in the city of Antwerp.
In 1912, the family business was changed into a Limited Liability Company, Brewery Charles De Koninck, with Josephina De Koninck as principal shareholder. Florent Van Bauwel was appointed executive. According to the brewery's records, Van Bouwel applied himself so well, especially during the First World War, that Miss De Koninck favored him to take over the company. In 1919, Van Bouwel entered into a partnership with the Van den Bogaerts of Willebroek. Later, Florent Van Bauwel and Joseph Van den Bogaert were succeeded by their sons Joseph Van Bauwel and Modeste Van den Bogaert. Dominique and Bernard Van den Bogaert, sons of Modeste, continued leading the brewery after his death. In 2010, the brewery was given to the Duvel Moortgat Brewery to run and control but still acts as an independent brand within the group.
Some of the Brewery's Range
De Koninck - The glass in which De Koninck's flagship beer is served is called a "bolleke"
Triple d'Anvers -
Winterkoninck -
Cuvee Antwerpen '93 - Introduced in 1993 when the brewery's home city was cultural capital of Europe (Discontinued)
Cuvee De Koninck -
Antoon - A special beer introduced for the Anthony van Dyck year in 1999 (Discontinued)
Begyn - Introduced for the Beguinage Festival in Hoogstraten in 1999 (Discontinued)
Pagadder - (Discontinued)
Zomerkoninck - Introduced in 2007 for the Dutch market exclusively (Discontinued)
Gusto Golden Blond - (Discontinued)
Gusto Ruby Red - (Discontinued)
De Koninck Blond - (Discontinued)

Over the years the brand identity is updated and re-launched with subtle changes, a change of Logo or a new font.
Sometimes this brand update is done by the new owners after a brewery has been sold, other times just to give the brand a fresh new look on the ever growing market.

Below are some notes to help identify some of these changes and an aid to reference the year of the glass.