First brewed in 1934, Westmalle tripel is considered to be the mother of all tripels, clocking in at 9.5% ABV. While not all tripels are this strong, they do typically range from 7% to 10% ABV.

In order to counter the trend, Verlinden created Witkap Tripel in 1932. Westmalle Abbey took on and refined the style, created its iconic recipe, and shortened the name to "Tripel" in the 1950s.