Bartender Dieter shaking a drink

The story of Belroy's

BelRoy's is a story about the best ingredients mixed with respect into a perfectly balanced drink of excellent quality. That story started in 2013 when Ben Belmans and Dieter Van Roy met during a workshop. A friendship started around a shared passion for quality bartending.

BelRoy's spirits

Taste and experience came first for them. In 2014, Ben and Dieter started experimenting with bottling and maturing cocktails. By making cocktails in the bottle, you get a more refined result than when you make a cocktail 'à la minute'. You can compare it with a good pot of stew or spaghetti sauce, which is always better after it sits overnight. This is how BelRoy's Negroni, BelRoy's Vesper Martini, and BelRoy's El Presidente were created.

After a catering adventure and many workshops, the time was right to open our own bar. And in 2016, BelRoy's Bijou was opened. A cozy cocktail bar, a warm interior, and an attractive setting. A bar that feels like coming home. Where flavors reinforce each other and recipes are continuously refined. On the menu: classics with a twist, own creations, and a back bar full of delicious gems. Limited spirits or bottles from closed distilleries. You will find them all there. Behind the bar is a team that exudes passion and knowledge. We were immediately allowed to shine on the Discovery list of World 50 best, and 6 months after opening, we received the award of Venuez Best Cocktail Bar.

BelRoy's Bijou back bar

After a catering adventure and many workshops, the time was right to open our own bar. And in 2016, BelRoy's Bijou was opened. A cozy cocktail bar, a warm interior, and an attractive setting. A bar that feels like coming home. Where flavors reinforce each other and recipes are continuously refined. On the menu: classics with a twist, own creations, and a back bar full of delicious gems. Limited spirits or bottles from closed distilleries. You will find them all there. Behind the bar is a team that exudes passion and knowledge. We were immediately allowed to shine on the Discovery list of World 50 best, and 6 months after opening, we received the award of Venuez Best Cocktail Bar.

To have 100% control over the taste and texture of the drinks, they also started distilling themselves in 2017. The reason was quite simple. A good cocktail starts with the ingredients. In their search for a gin, they came across many good gins. But they found that almost all of those good gins could only be used in a limited number of cocktails. They created BelRoy's Gin. A gin that works for any gin cocktail, from Aviation to Dry Martini. BelRoy's Vodka and BelRoy's Rum further complete the list of own spirits.

BelRoy's MAS bar

In 2019 Ben and Dieter started to feel the itch to open a second bar. Their eyes fell on a beautiful building at the MAS on the Eilandje. A beautiful, spacious warehouse cellar where they could let Antwerp residents and visitors enjoy high-quality cocktails. Enough space to receive larger groups without sacrificing intimacy due to the cozy separate niches. During the corona pandemic, this location was converted into a cocktail laboratory so that all Belgians could continue to enjoy their cocktails at home

But we were all too happy that we were allowed to open our doors again in the summer of 2021. Finally, everyone could enjoy tasty cocktails on the sun-drenched terrace in the shadow of the MAS. And from Gault & Millault, we received the award for Best Cocktail Bar of the Year 2021 to top it all off.

In the fall of 2022, Cocktails at Nine joined the BelRoy's family.

BelRoy's at Nine terras

Meet the founder

MAS Cocktails Zombie

Dieter Van Roy

After training in dental techniques, Dieter thought it was time to follow in the footsteps of the Van Roys, all of them catering men. The passion started in his brother's restaurant. It began in the kitchen but soon ended behind the bar. From Mechelen, he headed for Antwerp. In what was then Josephine's by Kasper Stuart, he spread his wings and became one of the greatest bartenders. In 2017 he was awarded the title of Best Bartender at Venuez.

Favorite cocktail: New Orleans Sazerac
Favorite spirit: Guyana Rum

Serving
Philosofy
BelRoy's MAS bar