A great cognac is always about the right combination of passion, craftsmanship and time.
And since good taste is never a matter of exact science, the overall experience at Malternative Belgium is always more than the sum of its parts. Because Malternative Belgium adds another ingredient, which shines like salt and pepper on all the other elements: real experience with direct and personal contact.
Malternative Belgium, that’s us, Pieter Knapen and Ysatis Thijs Feel free to search the dictionary under the lemma “Burgundian couple” and chances are you will find our names there.
Even from before we knew each other, we were both looking for the real quality of life: good food and drink, socializing and sharing with friends. True epicureans. Not surprisingly, we continue and perfect our quest together.
In 2020, Malternative Belgium was reborn as an independent bottler of cognac, this felt right away.
Besides our online business, we also have a real experience store in Hasselt, a place where you can taste and decide on a possible purchase in a cozy setting and where we bring together all possible knowledge about cognac.
The dedicated interest in spirits began in 2009. We took our first steps into the universe of cognac as a distributor of a reputable brand in 2016. We didn’t quite find our niche there – we wanted people to really feel how we ourselves were touched by the story of this eau de vie and be more than a logistical link.
During all these years, our contacts in the cognac region were also developed, so that we can now also make grateful use of our fine network of small, family-owned producers, all of whom share the same values: quality, heritage, knowledge and passion to be shared.
We are proud to call some of them friends in the meantime.
Fancy experiencing for yourself how cognac can enrich your life? If so, be sure to contact us. Or better yet, stop by!There's always a nice bottle open for tasting, because that's what it's made for, right?
En route through the cognac region
Cognac, a general look at a complex spirit…
The history of cognac dates back to the 16th century and is closely intertwined with the rich cultural heritage of the Cognac region in southwestern France. The cognac region is located just below…
Malternative Belgium, the world is our audience.
What began as a dream of a passionate lover of fine spirits grew into a major project of young entrepreneur Pieter Knapen and wife Ysatis Thijs. In 2020, Malternative Belgium was reborn as an…
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