Bouckaert (distillery)

Charles Bouckaert Distillery was a jenever distillery located at Pittemstraat 20, in the Belgian village Lotenhulle (Aalter).

History

Playing card with advertisement for distillery Bouckaert

Charles Bouckaert (1845–1913) opened his jenever distillery at the end of the 19th century and continued distilling until his death in 1913. Besides being a jenever distiller, Bouckaert was also mayor of Lotenhulle from 1904 until his death in 1913. He was also chairman and founder of various associations, such as Lotenhulle Dairy Association, the Goat Association and the Nevele Agricultural Association. Lotenhulle’s Charles Bouckaertstraat is named after this jenever distiller and mayor.

Jenever

Bouckaert jenever was renowned for being a very pure, top-quality product. It was distributed in the area around Zomergem, Maldegem, Lotenhulle and Grammene and was available in all of the cafés in Lotenhulle. Charles Bouckaert delivered his jenever himself, crisscrossing the region with a horse and cart. The jenever was sold in 10 litre wooden casks or in bottles. Private individuals could also bring empty bottles to be filled at the distillery.

No information is available about how the jenever was produced.

Building

Goed te Pittem

The distillery was located in the ‘Goed te Pittem’. This farm consisted of a main building that served as a dwelling, plus two outbuildings to the left and right behind the main building. The distillery was housed in the left outbuilding and consisted of a storage room, a distillery cellar and a tall round chimney. After Bouckaert's death and the cessation of distilling, the buildings became the property of Oscar Peltijn. He ran the place as chicken farm but later switched to pig farming. The building was still occupied by farmers in the 1980s.