Hoegaarden de-emphasizes hops, and is unfiltered, giving it the hazy, or milky, appearance--which makes it a wit (white) beer.

[2] Pierre Celis, a milkman who had grown up next to the brewery and sometimes helped with brewing, decided ten years later to try to revive the style.

[3][4] Celis used the traditional ingredients of water, yeast, wheat, hops, coriander, and dried Curaçao orange peel known as Laraha.

In the 1980s, with demand for the product continuing to grow, Celis bought Hougardia, a former lemonade factory, to expand his brewing operations.

Over time, Celis felt that the company used the loan to pressure him to change the recipe to give the beer broader appeal.