The iconic genever spirit was first produced at the Wambrechies distillery in 1817. This northern France speciality is a brandy infused with juniper berries. Guillaume Claeyssens originally left his native Belgium to set up an oil mill in Wambrechies. However, the business yielded very little profit, so in 1815 he developed a distillery designed by his friend Henri Lessen, which was completed in 1817. In the mid 19th century, Guillaume Claeyssens expanded the distillery extensively, transforming its organisation, not least with the arrival of the steam engine. The distillery enjoyed its golden age in the 20th century. Workers from all over the region savoured genever, which won an award at the Brussels International Exhibition in 1935. Production diversified when the Depasse family acquired the distillery in 1998 and started producing whiskies, vodkas and gins. The distillery underwent major renovation work in 2022, and continues to produce exceptional spirits following traditional methods.

A French single malt 8 year old produced at the Claeyssens de Wambrechies distillery to celebrate its 200-year anniversary.