Pierre Celis

Pierre Celis (French pronunciation: [pjɛʁ selis], 21 March 1925 – 9 April 2011) was a Belgian brewer who opened his first brewery in 1966 to revive the wit beer style in his hometown of Hoegaarden.

[1] Celis was born on 21 March 1925 in his family home on the edge of the Hoegaarden town square.

He grew up working on his father's cattle farm, but also helped out in the brewery of his neighbour Louis Tomsin.

Tomsin brewed white beer, which was a speciality in the region around Celis' home town.

[1][2][3] He then founded the Celis Brewery in Austin, Texas,[2] managed by his daughter Christine,[1] which he started supposedly with yeast he smuggled in his socks.