Get the latest in beer, wine, and cocktail culture sent straight to your inbox. Ommegang canceled BCTC in 2019 (to make upgrades to the taproom) and 2020 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), but hopes to bring it back in 2022.
Ommegangs packaging and the names of the beers were always intimidating to the novice, Laxague says. In 2004, Ommegang launched the beer that has become its best-seller: Witte, a Belgian-style wit or wheat beer with hints of coriander and citrus.
That self-imposed box must have existed because leadership thought, for decades, it would work.
Photo: A sign for Moortgat in the Brewery Ommegang tasting room in Cooperstown. Get updates on products, breweries, craft beer events, private tastings, and more.
The Brewery Ommegang Concert Series runs each summer, attracting an eclectic line-up of indie,alternative, folk and rock acts.
Duvel Moortgat, owned by the Moortgat family of Belgium, is the parent company of Ommegang. Ommegang has joined the hot craft brew trend toward aging beers in whiskey barrels and others casks.
As the craft beer industry has matured in the United States, so has Brewery Ommegang and its parent company, Duvel Moortgat. Nov 2013.
Twenty years ago, a group of visionary beer enthusiasts brought forth on a former hop field in Upstate New York a new idea for an American brewery.
The company capitulates to our American hankering for cracking a cold one with increasing availability of smaller formats, like the Idyll Days Pilsner (available in 16-ounce cans and, because 2020, as a protective face mask) and Neon Rainbows, its Farmhouse New England-style IPA (available in 4-pack bottles or neon yet somehow still classy 16-ounce cans).
Should it have happened sooner? In 2013, Duvel Moortgat acquired the renowned Boulevard Brewing Co. of Kansas City, and then in 2015 formed a business partnership with Firestone Walker Brewing Co. of Paso Robles, Calif. Those deals have allowed for some cost-sharing, some beer collaborations and exchange of ideas, and expanded marketing power.
teddy ommegang beer honors granville accolades ambiance moore received won since its Here's a look at two decades of innovation and expansion at one of Upstate New York's most renowned breweries. and, of course, Ommegang beer (you can choose five of theirs, plus wine, plus optional spirits, depending on the kind of open bar your friends can handle). The Game of Thrones beers are distributed nationwide. The flavor is mildly sweet, with notes of caramel and molasses mingling with hints of bourbon and oak.". The brewery was the co-winner in the first ever Taste NY Craft Beer Challenge held in May in New York City. We still aim for a little more of a high-end market than many brewers.
But it was Ommegang that actually (intentionally) partnered with the HBO swords-and-sex-and-sadness series to release over a dozen GoT-themed beers.
A specialized brand like Ommegang, which was once presented in the context of Belgian imports like Saison Dupont as part of the Vanberg & DeWulf portfolio, now sits in a company portfolio alongside brands selling Hazy IPAs and hard seltzers.
It offers a small menu of Belgian food classics, from frites (fries) to sausages, stews, crepes and waffles. From a January 1998 Syracuse Post-Standard report on the brewerys opening: Even a taste straight out of the cellaring tank -- some weeks before the first batch was ready to ship -- offered hints of the aromas and fruitiness to come..
Thats been a challenge even for brewers of Belgian-inspired Wild Ales, which are arguably still more interesting to beer geeks than abbey ales.
Of Great Import Shelton Brothers Ceases Operations, Putting Future of Prominent Foreign Brands in Jeopardy, Dont Get It Twisted With Provenance and Flavor, Theres Space to Play in the Hard Tea Category, Legacy and Liability To Chart Its Way Forward, Ommegang Has to Reconsider Its Belgian Past. And canceled events at Cooperstowns Baseball Hall of Fame cant be helping.
So what makes a beer Belgian? Its partly the core ingredients (the types of malt and hops), the frequent addition of spices and other flavorings (like coriander, citrus, star anise etc. Leinhart declined to speak to GBH for this story. - Brewer of Belgian-Style Beers in America", "2004 Great American Beer Festival Winners List", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brewery_Ommegang&oldid=1076319462, Beer brewing companies based in New York (state), Tourist attractions in Otsego County, New York, Articles needing additional references from November 2012, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2017, Articles needing additional references from May 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Ommegang Abbey Ale (a classic Belgian-style abbey double), Ommegeddon Funkhouse Ale (a golden ale with, Ommegang Biere de Mars (an amber ale, bottle-conditioned with, Ommegang Rouge (Flemish red ale, collaboration with Brouwerij Bockor, 5.5%).
mash whiskey ommegang catskill distilling craft
Feinberg and Littlefield sold their share of Ommegang in 2003 to Belgian brewer Duvel Moortgat Brewery, brewers of the Duvel Golden Ale. Ommegang has also begun exporting to Canada, the US Virgin Islands, and Mexico.
Despite this somewhat remote location, Ommegang sells beers in 48 states, and draws visitors from far and wide to its festivals, concert series and cafe/tasting room. Those beers were then blended and bottled. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. The answer to Campbells question is one Ommegang and its parent company, Duvel USA, believe can be more flexible than it has been.
Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). Thats when few Americans were familiar with Belgian beers like Duvel, Chimay or even Stella Artois.
What does it mean for a brewery if its most recent successes are seen as exceptions to, rather than extensions of, its identity? That seems to be the day brewing started for its first beer -- though none would hit the market until early 1998.
And hey, this guy loved it.
ommegang brewery thrones game take stout oct coming release beers brew showing series
Can New Strategies Breathe Life Into Some of Napas Most Storied Wine Brands? Given that Ommegang is located on an idyllic, 140-acre farm in Cooperstown, theres plenty of literal land to welcome visitors and deepen a place-based identityif tourists will come.
Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield always envisioned Ommegang as a destination for beer lovers. Photo:A January 1998 clipping from the Syracuse Post-Standard announces the opening of Brewery Ommegang, with a picture of founder Don Feinberg kissing a bottle.
Now the brewery says its breaking out. After basing its entire brand on traditional and complex styles since its birth, it now wants drinkers to think of Ommegang when theyre shopping for Lagers. The breweryrecently partnered with a start-up called Tenterr to provide fully equipped and serviced campsites on the grounds.
Ommegang needs to play in this more approachable spaceboth in terms of styles and packagingif its going to survive, CBCs Laxague says. Currently theyre doing Dry and Ros styles, both of which are filtered and carbonated meaning even if the slightly dryer style is more European, the final product is also close enough to the mass-market-appeal of an easy-drinking American cider like Angry Orchard. Charles brought his own entourage and vendors, musicians, and artisans of the city lined up to receive them.
saison hennepin ommegang packaging updates remain brewery soon coming
In its first year, Ommegang added Hennepin, a saison-style beer, and Rare Vos, a Brabant-style (or amber) Belgian ale.
13326.
Dubbels, in general, are between 6 and 9 percent ABV, and they originated at the Westmalle Monastery around the turn of the 20th century, where some clever monks decided to commercialize the stuff they drank daily by doubling the ABV for the (admittedly) sinful public.
Later, it brewed Three Philosophers, a Belgian quadrupel ale blended with a Belgian type of cherry beer called kriek.
Now that hes left Ommegang, Campbell says the brewerys next chapter is not for him to write, but acknowledges its focus will likely have to expand beyond the Belgian parameters that have set its course for over two decades. Further integration is evidence the Kansas City-based team intends to shift Ommegang away from its strictly Belgian roots. Photo: This picture, taken in 2006 in the Brewery Ommegang tasting room, shows two of its beers, Hennepin and Abbey Ale, with their original but since redesigned bottle labels.
So theres an element ofwhat the brewery brand stands for, to what extent should that be tied to a specific style of beer?. Use the Ommegang beer finderto search for retailers by zip code. Ommegang Adoration Strong Winter Ale: 10% ABV, spiced, dark and malty.
The reality is, they were..
Photo: Brewery Ommegang president and general manager Doug Campbell holds a bottle of its 20th Anniversary Ale in the brewery gift shop. barrier ommegang belgian relief brewing sandy ipa hurricane aids Even prior to the acquisition, Ommegang struggled for feet on the street., Id never seen an Ommegang sales person out in the marketplace, said Rick Laxague, formerly a division manager at Crescent Crown Distributing in Phoenix, who handled Belgian beer for the wholesaler from 2002-2013. From the start, Ommegangs beers were packaged in the distinctive 750-mililiter bottles, topped not with a cap, but with a cork and wire cage (similar to champagne). In addition to Feinberg and Littlefield, its partnership included Belgian brewers Duvel Moortgat, Affligem and Scaldis. It doesnt get more diametrically opposed to Ommegangs traditional image than stovetop cans advertised as crisp, clean, and easy drinking beer, sold in convenience stores and sports bars, and supported by hunting-camo marketing materials. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.
This beer will be sold in 4-packs of 12-ounce bottles and on tap for the late fall and winter months. Ommegang Abbey Ale and Three Philosophers can be aged for flavoring. Ommegang Aphrodite Tart beer (Belgian-style ale), Ommegang Belgian Independence Day Saison (Belgian-style saison 7.0%), Ommegang Seduction (Belgian-style stout blended with Kriek, 6.8%), Ommegang Biere d' Hougoumont (Biere de Garde aged on White Oak and Maple wooden staves, 7.3%), Ommegang Belgian Independence Day Tripel (8.3%), Ommegang Scythe & Sickle (Harvest ale, 5.8%.
The next beer up: Smoked Porter.
I dont think [Ommegang] was as provenance-driven as some of the other craft brands that started and put other roots down, but hindsights 2020, Gershon says.
), Ommegang Adoration (Belgian-style Strong Winter Ale, 10% ABV), Fire and Blood Red Ale (6.8%, March 2014), Valar Morghulis Dubbel Ale (8%, October 2014), Three-Eyed Raven Dark Saison Ale (7.2%, April 2015), Seven Kingdoms Hoppy Wheat Ale (6.9%, March 2016), Valar Dohaeris Belgian-Style Tripel Ale (9%, September 2016), Bend The Knee Belgian Golden Ale (9%, May 2017), Winter Is Here Double White Ale (8.3%, Fall 2017), Hand of the Queen Barleywine (10.7%, April 2018), Queen of the Seven Kingdoms Sour and Blonde Ale Blend (6.5%, June 2018), Mother of Dragons Smoked Porter and Kriek Ale Blend (6.6%, September 2018), King in the North Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (10.5% November 2018), For The Throne Strong Golden Ale co-fermented with Pinot Grigio and Viognier grapes (9.5%, March 2019), My Watch Has Ended Imperial Brown Ale, with maple syrup and fennugreek (8%, October 2019), Ommegang Glimmerglass (named after Glimmerglass State Park which is also located in Cooperstown) (Saison, 5.4% ABV), Ommegang Cooperstown Ale (named because of the history Ommegang shares with Cooperstown NY, Baseball Beer) (Blonde Ale, 5.5% ABV), 2008 World Beer Cup: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Witbier, 2010 World Beer Cup: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Wibier, 2011 Great American Beer Fest: Gold Medal, Belgian-style Witbier, 2011 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Witbier, 2014 Great American Beer Fest: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Witbier, 2010 European Beer Star: Bronze Medal, Belgian-style Ale, 2008 Great American Beer Fest: Bronze Medal, Belgian Ale, 2012 World Beer Cup: Gold Medal, Belgian-style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale, 2012 European Beer Star: Bronze Medal, Spiced beer, 2007 European Beer Star: Gold Medal, Spiced beer, 2010 World Beer Cup: Gold Medal, Belgian Dubbel Ale, 2012 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Dubbel, 2011 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Strong Ale, 2013 Great American Beer Festival: Bronze Medal, Belgian Style Quadruple Ale, 2012 European Beer Star: Gold Medal, Belgian-style Tripel, 2012 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Strong Ale, This page was last edited on 10 March 2022, at 14:11.
The brewery is working on a series of special, limited release blends that will be available only at the brewery.
Speaking of crushable beers, unless youre a madman or Wade Boggs, dont expect to do a summertime crush-style poolside thing with much of Ommegangs lineup.
Brewery owners must have realized early on that they were sitting on prime wedding real estate, because they now offer a polished wedding package that includes customized menu, DJ, tent procurement assistance (and when do we not have trouble with tent procurement?)
The question that will make or break Ommegang in the coming years is not just what it brews, but where it plants its flag. As with many of Ommegang's events, the concerts attract big festival-style crowds, many of whom camp on the grounds.
Allagashs Instagram page could double as a Maine tourism promotion, and New Belgium ties environmental stewardship efforts to its bases in the outdoor-recreation meccas of Fort Collins, Colorado and Asheville, North Carolina.
Brewery Ommegang isnt stuck in the past. Brewery Ommegang dates its official anniversary to Oct. 17, 1997. In 2003 the family-owned Duvel Moortgat, one of the Belgian breweries that helped found Brewery Ommegang, bought out all the other partners, including Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield (they went on to relocate Vanburg & DeWulf to Chicago before selling it). I never talked to or heard my distributor counterparts talking about an Ommegang sales rep.. If it sloughs off that focus to stay afloat, whats left?
Other recent new beers include Rosetta, a sour cherry-infused ale; Fruition, a wit beer with added fruit; and Pale Sour, a puckering blonde ale.
But integrationespecially salesforce integration following Duvel USAs purchase of Boulevard and Firestone Walkermight have its challenges.
Thats because the beer were fermented twice -- once before packaging and again in the bottle, as is done with many Belgian classics.
For one of the best bottle-conditioned Belgian-style ale this side of the Atlantic, check out Brewery Ommegang.
rosetta ommegang ale liefmans aged cherries
We still have one foot in Belgium and one foot in the States, said Doug Campbell, the companys president and general manager. They are Iron Throne Blonde Ale and Take the Black Stout (originally released in the spring and fall of 2013); Fire and Blood Red Ale (spring 2014); Valar Morghulis (fall 2014); Three-Eyed Raven Dark Saison (spring 2015); Seven Kingdoms Hoppy Wheat Ale (spring 2016); and Valar Dohaeris (fall 2016); Bend the Knee Strong Blonde Ale (spring 2017) and the most recent, Winter is Here, a double white ale, which is on the market now. Ommegang is named for an annual pageant in Brussels, whose origins date to the Middle Ages.
Theres something downright devilish (i.e., duvel-ish) about drinking a complex, rich beer all by its lonesome.
Brewery Ommegang began as a company-level Belgian beer collab between Littlefield and Feinbergs import business, Vanberg and DeWulf, and Belgian breweries Duvel Moortgat, Scaldis, and Affligem. thrones game ommegang brewery releases beer second stout take Deer Slayer is brewed under a sub-brand called Contra, marketed to hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, and sold exclusively in upstate New York in 19.2oz cans.
The event itself is in early August and features 200 or so Belgian and Belgo-American beers, plus entertainment.
On tap youll find Ommegangs beers, plus some from its Belgian and American sister breweries.
By breaking into these styles [like IPA and Blonde Ales], people whove never tried a Three Philosophers might say, Okay, I like Neon Rainbows, lets see what else this brewery makes.. Its a deep brown beer that includes smoked malt, and is 7.6 percent alcohol.
Cyclocross is popular in Belgium and a cyclocross race on the grounds of a Belgian-style brewery was a natural fit.
A national brewery? Duvel also bought Antwerp, Belgiums mainstay brewery De Koninck in late 2010. If Brewery Ommegang seems older (or more Belgian) than it is, thats because the brewery did a very good job at making itself seem ancient and Belgian when it was founded in 1997 by Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield in Cooperstown, N.Y. Littlefield and Feinberg also founded a New York-based Belgian beer import business, Vanberg and DeWulf, in 1982. But theres a good chance those drinkers will stick with the beer styles they like, and not necessarily make the leap to Quadrupels or Witbiers.
, NY Belgian-based Duvel Moortgat Brewery owns Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles, California, but Firestone Walker maintains its own marketing department on-site.
And all are relatively new: Brut IPA launched nationally in November 2018; Neon Rainbows debuted in late 2018 as a limited release before going year-round this year; and Hopstate saw regional distribution across the eastern U.S. for the first time in 2019. 2010-2022 BevNET.com, Inc. (Legal terms), Brewbound Craft Beer News, Events & Jobs, von Trapp Brewery Lager Ambassador for Virginia, Maryland, and DC - von Trapp Brewing, Sales Representative - Southern Vermont -- Premier Craft Beer Wholesaler - Craft Collective. The Susquehanna River flows nearby, though it's just a small stream at this point.
Faced with declining popularity for its core, Belgian-inspired styles, the Cooperstown, New York-based brewery has made two non-Belgian styles its priorities: Neon Rainbows, a New England IPA, and Idyll Days, a Pilsner, which will relaunch nationally next year.
Canned beer now makes up 60-70% of total American beer sales.
ommegang 12oz bottles round going april brewery This beer owes more to English brewing traditions than Belgian.
Ommegang started up in a purpose-built building based on a traditional Belgian farmhouse, set on a former 136-acre (0.55-square-kilometer) hop farm in the Susqehanna River Valley, four miles (6 kilometers) south of Cooperstown, New York, on County Route 33 in the town of Milford.
Because its Ommegang, theres also canned Three Philosophers, which is a 9.3 percent ABV power-packed quadrupel-plus-kriek (like a sour cherry lambic) thats also aged in Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux wine barrels (read: not for chugging, unless youre a wizard or this guy).
For its 20th anniversary, Ommegang has made a limited amount of what it calls "a luxurious Belgian-style dark ale." New darling Neon Rainbows has been one of the few bright spots in the brewerys portfolio; its now the brewerys top-sellera dramatic departure from the companys Belgian-inspired roots.
Photo: Sixpacks of Witte, Brewery Ommegang's best-selling beer.
As craft matures, one thing weve all had to remember is that we ultimately serve an audience, and you have to know what they want, he said in 2018. More bottles going forward will be 12-ounces with caps -- and you can even find Ommegang's Nirvana IPA in cans. Upstate New York's most renowned breweries. The brewery currently distributes to 49 states, has a newly renovated destination brewery in Cooperstown (price tag: $2 million), based its marketing department in Missouri, and is heavily associated with its Belgian ownership. In 2003, Brewery Ommegang was acquired by Duvel Moortgat. In 2016, Brewery Ommegang was named the World Champion "mid-sized brewery" in the World Beer Cup held in conjunction with the Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, D.C.
Here are 12 more things to know about Brewery Ommegang. But Ommegang would be different.
mybeerbuzz dubbel ommegang
This marketing play in Ommegangs home territory couldnt be farther from the types of beers Ommegangs been known forand thats the point. They actually dress the tents up really nice.
ommegang brewhouse
Big draws to the town have, in previous years, been Ommegangs concert series and the annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown festival (BCTC). Ommegang, wholly owned by Duvel USA since 2003, was famously founded two decades ago as a Belgian-style farmhouse brewerya legacy its touted since. Among the brew collaborations is a Spiced Saison that started as two separate beers, one brewed at Ommegang and another at Boulevard. Easy, familiar flavors are. Campbell told GBH in 2018 that the brewery needed to consider new marketing strategies to bring fans to the brand who arent gravitating to its lineup of high-end, culinary-paired beers.
The recent departures of high-level employees at Ommegang make the next six months an appropriate time for a shift in both branding and brewing, as new perspectives can potentially take hold.
The event, which occurs on a Saturday in July or August, includes seven hours of unlimited sampling of over 200 Belgian and Belgian-style beers followed by food, live music, and a bonfire. Photo:Brewery Ommegang has been aging more of its beers in used whiskey barrels and other casks. Engineering Project Manager- 4840 - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Director of Brewing Operations - Service Brewing Company, San Jose Sales Manager - Knee Deep Brewing Company, Last Call: Stoudts Brewing Returns to Pennsylvania Through Partnership with Evil Genius; Trade Groups Adjust Marketing Guidelines For New Census Data, Maui CEO Details Decision to Acquire Modern Times, NBWA: Inflationary Pressures Keep Beer Ordering Muted for Second Consecutive Month, Anheuser-Busch InBev Q2 2022: US Revenue +2.7%, But Shipments -2.5%, Depletions -3.2%, Maui Moves Forward with Modern Times Acquisition, Hillebrand Hires New Director of Warehouse Operations, ICEBAR Orlando Debuts The Raging Yeti Red Ale Specialty Beer, Reubens Brews Toasts 10 Years of Brewing with a Ballard Block Party on August 6, Hi-Wire Brewings Oktoberfest Lager Is Now In 16 oz 6-packs, Scorpion Mezcal Distiller Seeks Preservation of Mexicos Heirloom Corn, Davos Brands Acquires Controlling Interest in Sombra Mezcal, John Esposito Joins Real McCoy Spirits as Chairman, CROC Vodka Release New Limited Edition Summer Colada, Jack Daniels Country Cocktails Teams with K. Michelle for Southern Peach Flavor, Preiss Imports Adds Ferdinands Saar Collection to its International Spirits Portfolio, Humboldt Distillery Expands to Markets Outside of California. All rights reserved (About Us).
beervana fest duvel usa sessions serves tastes rep ward zach boston sarah sales area (Conde Nast Traveler recently named Ommegang one of12 U.S. breweries where "the views match the beer.")
But thats a big part of our strategy moving forward..
It was 8.5 percent alcohol, with a ruby brown color, a sweet-ish malt flavor and hints of bitter orange and anise.
By Oct. 4, with 75% of 2020 already over, Ommegang has sold just 45% of its 2019 volume in those stores. Ommegangs most recognizable bottle is probably its first offering, the Ommegang Abbey Dubbel, a Trappist-style ale that makes you marvel that monks have such a reputation for contemplation. And, longer-term, what does it mean for one of the nations most respected Belgian-style breweries?
As of September 2018, Ommegang has begun exporting to France. ommegang brewery Next year will see the brand focus on aggressively marketing a portfolio led by Neon Rainbows, Idyll Days, and even a non-Ommegang-branded Blonde Ale called Deer Slayer. [citation needed].
Their Abbey ale took home the Gold Medal in 2010 from the World Beer Cup, in the Belgian Dubbel Ale category, and their Witte ale took home the Gold Medal in 2011 from the Great American Beer Fest in the Belgian-style Witbier category. pipeworks pairing ommegang map star brewing The acquisition also cemented Brewery Ommegangs affiliation with other well known Belgian breweries under the Duvel umbrella, including Liefmans, Maredsous and Achouffe.
It received pretty good critical reception from fans of the show and beer alike, unlike the series finale that preceded it.
Ommegangs past specialty bottled releases were too niche, Gershon says, adding they fit who we believed the brand was..
Big plays, smart moves, and otherwise curious indicators of beer's possible future. The original brewery was modeled after a traditional Belgian farmhouse, set on a former hop farm in the Susqehanna River Valley, just south of Cooperstown, New York.
Featured Products: Hennepin, Neon Rainbow, Witte, 3 Philosophers. Actually, ommegang is a Belgian word, used to refer to the coming of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles to medieval Brussels in 1549.
stelzer He is now managing partner at Craft Beverage Consultants (CBC), which provides strategic consulting to breweries, wineries, and distilleries. ), and the practice of using a second fermentation, sometimes in the bottle, after the intiial fermentation is complete.
Ommegangs packaging and the names of the beers were always intimidating to the novice, Laxague says. In 2004, Ommegang launched the beer that has become its best-seller: Witte, a Belgian-style wit or wheat beer with hints of coriander and citrus.
That self-imposed box must have existed because leadership thought, for decades, it would work.
Photo: A sign for Moortgat in the Brewery Ommegang tasting room in Cooperstown. Get updates on products, breweries, craft beer events, private tastings, and more.
The Brewery Ommegang Concert Series runs each summer, attracting an eclectic line-up of indie,alternative, folk and rock acts.
Duvel Moortgat, owned by the Moortgat family of Belgium, is the parent company of Ommegang. Ommegang has joined the hot craft brew trend toward aging beers in whiskey barrels and others casks.
As the craft beer industry has matured in the United States, so has Brewery Ommegang and its parent company, Duvel Moortgat. Nov 2013.
Twenty years ago, a group of visionary beer enthusiasts brought forth on a former hop field in Upstate New York a new idea for an American brewery.
The company capitulates to our American hankering for cracking a cold one with increasing availability of smaller formats, like the Idyll Days Pilsner (available in 16-ounce cans and, because 2020, as a protective face mask) and Neon Rainbows, its Farmhouse New England-style IPA (available in 4-pack bottles or neon yet somehow still classy 16-ounce cans).
Should it have happened sooner? In 2013, Duvel Moortgat acquired the renowned Boulevard Brewing Co. of Kansas City, and then in 2015 formed a business partnership with Firestone Walker Brewing Co. of Paso Robles, Calif. Those deals have allowed for some cost-sharing, some beer collaborations and exchange of ideas, and expanded marketing power.
teddy ommegang beer honors granville accolades ambiance moore received won since its Here's a look at two decades of innovation and expansion at one of Upstate New York's most renowned breweries. and, of course, Ommegang beer (you can choose five of theirs, plus wine, plus optional spirits, depending on the kind of open bar your friends can handle). The Game of Thrones beers are distributed nationwide. The flavor is mildly sweet, with notes of caramel and molasses mingling with hints of bourbon and oak.". The brewery was the co-winner in the first ever Taste NY Craft Beer Challenge held in May in New York City. We still aim for a little more of a high-end market than many brewers.
But it was Ommegang that actually (intentionally) partnered with the HBO swords-and-sex-and-sadness series to release over a dozen GoT-themed beers.
A specialized brand like Ommegang, which was once presented in the context of Belgian imports like Saison Dupont as part of the Vanberg & DeWulf portfolio, now sits in a company portfolio alongside brands selling Hazy IPAs and hard seltzers.
It offers a small menu of Belgian food classics, from frites (fries) to sausages, stews, crepes and waffles. From a January 1998 Syracuse Post-Standard report on the brewerys opening: Even a taste straight out of the cellaring tank -- some weeks before the first batch was ready to ship -- offered hints of the aromas and fruitiness to come..
Thats been a challenge even for brewers of Belgian-inspired Wild Ales, which are arguably still more interesting to beer geeks than abbey ales.
Of Great Import Shelton Brothers Ceases Operations, Putting Future of Prominent Foreign Brands in Jeopardy, Dont Get It Twisted With Provenance and Flavor, Theres Space to Play in the Hard Tea Category, Legacy and Liability To Chart Its Way Forward, Ommegang Has to Reconsider Its Belgian Past. And canceled events at Cooperstowns Baseball Hall of Fame cant be helping.
So what makes a beer Belgian? Its partly the core ingredients (the types of malt and hops), the frequent addition of spices and other flavorings (like coriander, citrus, star anise etc. Leinhart declined to speak to GBH for this story. - Brewer of Belgian-Style Beers in America", "2004 Great American Beer Festival Winners List", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brewery_Ommegang&oldid=1076319462, Beer brewing companies based in New York (state), Tourist attractions in Otsego County, New York, Articles needing additional references from November 2012, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2017, Articles needing additional references from May 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Ommegang Abbey Ale (a classic Belgian-style abbey double), Ommegeddon Funkhouse Ale (a golden ale with, Ommegang Biere de Mars (an amber ale, bottle-conditioned with, Ommegang Rouge (Flemish red ale, collaboration with Brouwerij Bockor, 5.5%).
mash whiskey ommegang catskill distilling craft
Feinberg and Littlefield sold their share of Ommegang in 2003 to Belgian brewer Duvel Moortgat Brewery, brewers of the Duvel Golden Ale. Ommegang has also begun exporting to Canada, the US Virgin Islands, and Mexico.
Despite this somewhat remote location, Ommegang sells beers in 48 states, and draws visitors from far and wide to its festivals, concert series and cafe/tasting room. Those beers were then blended and bottled. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. The answer to Campbells question is one Ommegang and its parent company, Duvel USA, believe can be more flexible than it has been.
Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). Thats when few Americans were familiar with Belgian beers like Duvel, Chimay or even Stella Artois.
What does it mean for a brewery if its most recent successes are seen as exceptions to, rather than extensions of, its identity? That seems to be the day brewing started for its first beer -- though none would hit the market until early 1998.
And hey, this guy loved it.
ommegang brewery thrones game take stout oct coming release beers brew showing series
Can New Strategies Breathe Life Into Some of Napas Most Storied Wine Brands? Given that Ommegang is located on an idyllic, 140-acre farm in Cooperstown, theres plenty of literal land to welcome visitors and deepen a place-based identityif tourists will come.
Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield always envisioned Ommegang as a destination for beer lovers. Photo:A January 1998 clipping from the Syracuse Post-Standard announces the opening of Brewery Ommegang, with a picture of founder Don Feinberg kissing a bottle.
Now the brewery says its breaking out. After basing its entire brand on traditional and complex styles since its birth, it now wants drinkers to think of Ommegang when theyre shopping for Lagers. The breweryrecently partnered with a start-up called Tenterr to provide fully equipped and serviced campsites on the grounds.
Ommegang needs to play in this more approachable spaceboth in terms of styles and packagingif its going to survive, CBCs Laxague says. Currently theyre doing Dry and Ros styles, both of which are filtered and carbonated meaning even if the slightly dryer style is more European, the final product is also close enough to the mass-market-appeal of an easy-drinking American cider like Angry Orchard. Charles brought his own entourage and vendors, musicians, and artisans of the city lined up to receive them.
saison hennepin ommegang packaging updates remain brewery soon coming
In its first year, Ommegang added Hennepin, a saison-style beer, and Rare Vos, a Brabant-style (or amber) Belgian ale.
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Dubbels, in general, are between 6 and 9 percent ABV, and they originated at the Westmalle Monastery around the turn of the 20th century, where some clever monks decided to commercialize the stuff they drank daily by doubling the ABV for the (admittedly) sinful public.
Later, it brewed Three Philosophers, a Belgian quadrupel ale blended with a Belgian type of cherry beer called kriek.
Now that hes left Ommegang, Campbell says the brewerys next chapter is not for him to write, but acknowledges its focus will likely have to expand beyond the Belgian parameters that have set its course for over two decades. Further integration is evidence the Kansas City-based team intends to shift Ommegang away from its strictly Belgian roots. Photo: This picture, taken in 2006 in the Brewery Ommegang tasting room, shows two of its beers, Hennepin and Abbey Ale, with their original but since redesigned bottle labels.
So theres an element ofwhat the brewery brand stands for, to what extent should that be tied to a specific style of beer?. Use the Ommegang beer finderto search for retailers by zip code. Ommegang Adoration Strong Winter Ale: 10% ABV, spiced, dark and malty.
The reality is, they were..
Photo: Brewery Ommegang president and general manager Doug Campbell holds a bottle of its 20th Anniversary Ale in the brewery gift shop. barrier ommegang belgian relief brewing sandy ipa hurricane aids Even prior to the acquisition, Ommegang struggled for feet on the street., Id never seen an Ommegang sales person out in the marketplace, said Rick Laxague, formerly a division manager at Crescent Crown Distributing in Phoenix, who handled Belgian beer for the wholesaler from 2002-2013. From the start, Ommegangs beers were packaged in the distinctive 750-mililiter bottles, topped not with a cap, but with a cork and wire cage (similar to champagne). In addition to Feinberg and Littlefield, its partnership included Belgian brewers Duvel Moortgat, Affligem and Scaldis. It doesnt get more diametrically opposed to Ommegangs traditional image than stovetop cans advertised as crisp, clean, and easy drinking beer, sold in convenience stores and sports bars, and supported by hunting-camo marketing materials. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.
This beer will be sold in 4-packs of 12-ounce bottles and on tap for the late fall and winter months. Ommegang Abbey Ale and Three Philosophers can be aged for flavoring. Ommegang Aphrodite Tart beer (Belgian-style ale), Ommegang Belgian Independence Day Saison (Belgian-style saison 7.0%), Ommegang Seduction (Belgian-style stout blended with Kriek, 6.8%), Ommegang Biere d' Hougoumont (Biere de Garde aged on White Oak and Maple wooden staves, 7.3%), Ommegang Belgian Independence Day Tripel (8.3%), Ommegang Scythe & Sickle (Harvest ale, 5.8%.
The next beer up: Smoked Porter.
I dont think [Ommegang] was as provenance-driven as some of the other craft brands that started and put other roots down, but hindsights 2020, Gershon says.
), Ommegang Adoration (Belgian-style Strong Winter Ale, 10% ABV), Fire and Blood Red Ale (6.8%, March 2014), Valar Morghulis Dubbel Ale (8%, October 2014), Three-Eyed Raven Dark Saison Ale (7.2%, April 2015), Seven Kingdoms Hoppy Wheat Ale (6.9%, March 2016), Valar Dohaeris Belgian-Style Tripel Ale (9%, September 2016), Bend The Knee Belgian Golden Ale (9%, May 2017), Winter Is Here Double White Ale (8.3%, Fall 2017), Hand of the Queen Barleywine (10.7%, April 2018), Queen of the Seven Kingdoms Sour and Blonde Ale Blend (6.5%, June 2018), Mother of Dragons Smoked Porter and Kriek Ale Blend (6.6%, September 2018), King in the North Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (10.5% November 2018), For The Throne Strong Golden Ale co-fermented with Pinot Grigio and Viognier grapes (9.5%, March 2019), My Watch Has Ended Imperial Brown Ale, with maple syrup and fennugreek (8%, October 2019), Ommegang Glimmerglass (named after Glimmerglass State Park which is also located in Cooperstown) (Saison, 5.4% ABV), Ommegang Cooperstown Ale (named because of the history Ommegang shares with Cooperstown NY, Baseball Beer) (Blonde Ale, 5.5% ABV), 2008 World Beer Cup: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Witbier, 2010 World Beer Cup: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Wibier, 2011 Great American Beer Fest: Gold Medal, Belgian-style Witbier, 2011 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Witbier, 2014 Great American Beer Fest: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Witbier, 2010 European Beer Star: Bronze Medal, Belgian-style Ale, 2008 Great American Beer Fest: Bronze Medal, Belgian Ale, 2012 World Beer Cup: Gold Medal, Belgian-style Blonde Ale or Pale Ale, 2012 European Beer Star: Bronze Medal, Spiced beer, 2007 European Beer Star: Gold Medal, Spiced beer, 2010 World Beer Cup: Gold Medal, Belgian Dubbel Ale, 2012 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Dubbel, 2011 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Strong Ale, 2013 Great American Beer Festival: Bronze Medal, Belgian Style Quadruple Ale, 2012 European Beer Star: Gold Medal, Belgian-style Tripel, 2012 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Strong Ale, This page was last edited on 10 March 2022, at 14:11.
The brewery is working on a series of special, limited release blends that will be available only at the brewery.
Speaking of crushable beers, unless youre a madman or Wade Boggs, dont expect to do a summertime crush-style poolside thing with much of Ommegangs lineup.
Brewery owners must have realized early on that they were sitting on prime wedding real estate, because they now offer a polished wedding package that includes customized menu, DJ, tent procurement assistance (and when do we not have trouble with tent procurement?)
The question that will make or break Ommegang in the coming years is not just what it brews, but where it plants its flag. As with many of Ommegang's events, the concerts attract big festival-style crowds, many of whom camp on the grounds.
Allagashs Instagram page could double as a Maine tourism promotion, and New Belgium ties environmental stewardship efforts to its bases in the outdoor-recreation meccas of Fort Collins, Colorado and Asheville, North Carolina.
Brewery Ommegang isnt stuck in the past. Brewery Ommegang dates its official anniversary to Oct. 17, 1997. In 2003 the family-owned Duvel Moortgat, one of the Belgian breweries that helped found Brewery Ommegang, bought out all the other partners, including Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield (they went on to relocate Vanburg & DeWulf to Chicago before selling it). I never talked to or heard my distributor counterparts talking about an Ommegang sales rep.. If it sloughs off that focus to stay afloat, whats left?
Other recent new beers include Rosetta, a sour cherry-infused ale; Fruition, a wit beer with added fruit; and Pale Sour, a puckering blonde ale.
But integrationespecially salesforce integration following Duvel USAs purchase of Boulevard and Firestone Walkermight have its challenges.
Thats because the beer were fermented twice -- once before packaging and again in the bottle, as is done with many Belgian classics.
For one of the best bottle-conditioned Belgian-style ale this side of the Atlantic, check out Brewery Ommegang.
rosetta ommegang ale liefmans aged cherries
We still have one foot in Belgium and one foot in the States, said Doug Campbell, the companys president and general manager. They are Iron Throne Blonde Ale and Take the Black Stout (originally released in the spring and fall of 2013); Fire and Blood Red Ale (spring 2014); Valar Morghulis (fall 2014); Three-Eyed Raven Dark Saison (spring 2015); Seven Kingdoms Hoppy Wheat Ale (spring 2016); and Valar Dohaeris (fall 2016); Bend the Knee Strong Blonde Ale (spring 2017) and the most recent, Winter is Here, a double white ale, which is on the market now. Ommegang is named for an annual pageant in Brussels, whose origins date to the Middle Ages.
Theres something downright devilish (i.e., duvel-ish) about drinking a complex, rich beer all by its lonesome.
Brewery Ommegang began as a company-level Belgian beer collab between Littlefield and Feinbergs import business, Vanberg and DeWulf, and Belgian breweries Duvel Moortgat, Scaldis, and Affligem. thrones game ommegang brewery releases beer second stout take Deer Slayer is brewed under a sub-brand called Contra, marketed to hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, and sold exclusively in upstate New York in 19.2oz cans.
The event itself is in early August and features 200 or so Belgian and Belgo-American beers, plus entertainment.
On tap youll find Ommegangs beers, plus some from its Belgian and American sister breweries.
By breaking into these styles [like IPA and Blonde Ales], people whove never tried a Three Philosophers might say, Okay, I like Neon Rainbows, lets see what else this brewery makes.. Its a deep brown beer that includes smoked malt, and is 7.6 percent alcohol.
Cyclocross is popular in Belgium and a cyclocross race on the grounds of a Belgian-style brewery was a natural fit.
A national brewery? Duvel also bought Antwerp, Belgiums mainstay brewery De Koninck in late 2010. If Brewery Ommegang seems older (or more Belgian) than it is, thats because the brewery did a very good job at making itself seem ancient and Belgian when it was founded in 1997 by Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield in Cooperstown, N.Y. Littlefield and Feinberg also founded a New York-based Belgian beer import business, Vanberg and DeWulf, in 1982. But theres a good chance those drinkers will stick with the beer styles they like, and not necessarily make the leap to Quadrupels or Witbiers.
, NY Belgian-based Duvel Moortgat Brewery owns Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles, California, but Firestone Walker maintains its own marketing department on-site.
And all are relatively new: Brut IPA launched nationally in November 2018; Neon Rainbows debuted in late 2018 as a limited release before going year-round this year; and Hopstate saw regional distribution across the eastern U.S. for the first time in 2019. 2010-2022 BevNET.com, Inc. (Legal terms), Brewbound Craft Beer News, Events & Jobs, von Trapp Brewery Lager Ambassador for Virginia, Maryland, and DC - von Trapp Brewing, Sales Representative - Southern Vermont -- Premier Craft Beer Wholesaler - Craft Collective. The Susquehanna River flows nearby, though it's just a small stream at this point.
Faced with declining popularity for its core, Belgian-inspired styles, the Cooperstown, New York-based brewery has made two non-Belgian styles its priorities: Neon Rainbows, a New England IPA, and Idyll Days, a Pilsner, which will relaunch nationally next year.
Canned beer now makes up 60-70% of total American beer sales.
ommegang 12oz bottles round going april brewery This beer owes more to English brewing traditions than Belgian.
Ommegang started up in a purpose-built building based on a traditional Belgian farmhouse, set on a former 136-acre (0.55-square-kilometer) hop farm in the Susqehanna River Valley, four miles (6 kilometers) south of Cooperstown, New York, on County Route 33 in the town of Milford.
Because its Ommegang, theres also canned Three Philosophers, which is a 9.3 percent ABV power-packed quadrupel-plus-kriek (like a sour cherry lambic) thats also aged in Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux wine barrels (read: not for chugging, unless youre a wizard or this guy).
For its 20th anniversary, Ommegang has made a limited amount of what it calls "a luxurious Belgian-style dark ale." New darling Neon Rainbows has been one of the few bright spots in the brewerys portfolio; its now the brewerys top-sellera dramatic departure from the companys Belgian-inspired roots.
Photo: Sixpacks of Witte, Brewery Ommegang's best-selling beer.
As craft matures, one thing weve all had to remember is that we ultimately serve an audience, and you have to know what they want, he said in 2018. More bottles going forward will be 12-ounces with caps -- and you can even find Ommegang's Nirvana IPA in cans. Upstate New York's most renowned breweries. The brewery currently distributes to 49 states, has a newly renovated destination brewery in Cooperstown (price tag: $2 million), based its marketing department in Missouri, and is heavily associated with its Belgian ownership. In 2003, Brewery Ommegang was acquired by Duvel Moortgat. In 2016, Brewery Ommegang was named the World Champion "mid-sized brewery" in the World Beer Cup held in conjunction with the Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, D.C.
Here are 12 more things to know about Brewery Ommegang. But Ommegang would be different.
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This marketing play in Ommegangs home territory couldnt be farther from the types of beers Ommegangs been known forand thats the point. They actually dress the tents up really nice.
ommegang brewhouse
Big draws to the town have, in previous years, been Ommegangs concert series and the annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown festival (BCTC). Ommegang, wholly owned by Duvel USA since 2003, was famously founded two decades ago as a Belgian-style farmhouse brewerya legacy its touted since. Among the brew collaborations is a Spiced Saison that started as two separate beers, one brewed at Ommegang and another at Boulevard. Easy, familiar flavors are. Campbell told GBH in 2018 that the brewery needed to consider new marketing strategies to bring fans to the brand who arent gravitating to its lineup of high-end, culinary-paired beers.
The recent departures of high-level employees at Ommegang make the next six months an appropriate time for a shift in both branding and brewing, as new perspectives can potentially take hold.
The event, which occurs on a Saturday in July or August, includes seven hours of unlimited sampling of over 200 Belgian and Belgian-style beers followed by food, live music, and a bonfire. Photo:Brewery Ommegang has been aging more of its beers in used whiskey barrels and other casks. Engineering Project Manager- 4840 - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Director of Brewing Operations - Service Brewing Company, San Jose Sales Manager - Knee Deep Brewing Company, Last Call: Stoudts Brewing Returns to Pennsylvania Through Partnership with Evil Genius; Trade Groups Adjust Marketing Guidelines For New Census Data, Maui CEO Details Decision to Acquire Modern Times, NBWA: Inflationary Pressures Keep Beer Ordering Muted for Second Consecutive Month, Anheuser-Busch InBev Q2 2022: US Revenue +2.7%, But Shipments -2.5%, Depletions -3.2%, Maui Moves Forward with Modern Times Acquisition, Hillebrand Hires New Director of Warehouse Operations, ICEBAR Orlando Debuts The Raging Yeti Red Ale Specialty Beer, Reubens Brews Toasts 10 Years of Brewing with a Ballard Block Party on August 6, Hi-Wire Brewings Oktoberfest Lager Is Now In 16 oz 6-packs, Scorpion Mezcal Distiller Seeks Preservation of Mexicos Heirloom Corn, Davos Brands Acquires Controlling Interest in Sombra Mezcal, John Esposito Joins Real McCoy Spirits as Chairman, CROC Vodka Release New Limited Edition Summer Colada, Jack Daniels Country Cocktails Teams with K. Michelle for Southern Peach Flavor, Preiss Imports Adds Ferdinands Saar Collection to its International Spirits Portfolio, Humboldt Distillery Expands to Markets Outside of California. All rights reserved (About Us).
beervana fest duvel usa sessions serves tastes rep ward zach boston sarah sales area (Conde Nast Traveler recently named Ommegang one of12 U.S. breweries where "the views match the beer.")
But thats a big part of our strategy moving forward..
It was 8.5 percent alcohol, with a ruby brown color, a sweet-ish malt flavor and hints of bitter orange and anise.
By Oct. 4, with 75% of 2020 already over, Ommegang has sold just 45% of its 2019 volume in those stores. Ommegangs most recognizable bottle is probably its first offering, the Ommegang Abbey Dubbel, a Trappist-style ale that makes you marvel that monks have such a reputation for contemplation. And, longer-term, what does it mean for one of the nations most respected Belgian-style breweries?
As of September 2018, Ommegang has begun exporting to France. ommegang brewery Next year will see the brand focus on aggressively marketing a portfolio led by Neon Rainbows, Idyll Days, and even a non-Ommegang-branded Blonde Ale called Deer Slayer. [citation needed].
Their Abbey ale took home the Gold Medal in 2010 from the World Beer Cup, in the Belgian Dubbel Ale category, and their Witte ale took home the Gold Medal in 2011 from the Great American Beer Fest in the Belgian-style Witbier category. pipeworks pairing ommegang map star brewing The acquisition also cemented Brewery Ommegangs affiliation with other well known Belgian breweries under the Duvel umbrella, including Liefmans, Maredsous and Achouffe.
It received pretty good critical reception from fans of the show and beer alike, unlike the series finale that preceded it.
Ommegangs past specialty bottled releases were too niche, Gershon says, adding they fit who we believed the brand was..
Big plays, smart moves, and otherwise curious indicators of beer's possible future. The original brewery was modeled after a traditional Belgian farmhouse, set on a former hop farm in the Susqehanna River Valley, just south of Cooperstown, New York.
Featured Products: Hennepin, Neon Rainbow, Witte, 3 Philosophers. Actually, ommegang is a Belgian word, used to refer to the coming of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles to medieval Brussels in 1549.
stelzer He is now managing partner at Craft Beverage Consultants (CBC), which provides strategic consulting to breweries, wineries, and distilleries. ), and the practice of using a second fermentation, sometimes in the bottle, after the intiial fermentation is complete.
