Chimay is an authentic Trappist beer: this means that it is brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, under the control and responsibility of the community of monks, who are involved through the process of making and marketing the beer. Most of the income generated by this activity is devoted to the needs of the community and social works.

The brewery was founded inside Scourmont Abbey, in the Belgian municipality of Chimay in 1862. Since the seventies the beer is transported from the monastery to the bottling plant 12 km away at Baileux, where also the cheese factory and a visitor center are located. The beer is then refermented in the bottle for three weeks before being shipped around the world. 50% of Chimay beer production is sold on the export markets. The brewing plant was updated in 1988.