Cristal, Pilsner brewery in Alken, Belgium.

Cristal is a pilsner brewery in Alken that produces a pale golden beer with moderate carbonation and a clean, balanced taste. The beer has a straightforward character without strong bitterness or sweetness.

Cristal Alken was created in May 1928 by Jozef Indekeu and Edouard Boes in Meeuwen, at a time when many Belgian brewers could not yet produce low-fermentation beer. The brewery in Alken joined the Alken-Maes group in 1988 and has been part of Heineken since 2008. In 2008, for the brand's 80th anniversary, Cristal 1928 (5.8%) was launched in the style of the original pilsner.

The name Cristal refers to the clarification step in brewing, after which the beer becomes "clear as crystal". In Alken, the annual Cristalfeesten at summer's end featured a Friday Cristal Party and weekend beer festivals in the shadow of the brewery, usually coinciding with the summer fair. For the 80th anniversary in 2008, the brewery returned to Meeuwen, where it began, and handed out 1,928 free bottles of a special anniversary beer named "1928".

The Alken production centre brews both Cristal Alken and Maes pils, with installations for low-fermentation brewing, fermentation and lagering plus bottling equipment for bottles and barrels. The Cristalfeesten were held yearly at the end of the summer holidays in Alken's village centre, opening Friday evening with a Cristal Party and continuing Saturday and Sunday with beer festivals in the shadow of the brewery, usually coinciding with the summer fair.

The name refers to the clarification step: fermented beer is filtered until it becomes "clear as crystal". The same brand name is used by unrelated breweries in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Cuba, Peru and Chile, so the Belgian Cristal is one of several beers sharing it.