Brewery Ommegang is a

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...

located near

Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the ...

, United States, that specializes in Belgian-style ales.

History

Ommegang began brewing Belgian-style ales in 1997. It was founded by Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, owners of beer import company Vanberg & DeWulf and three Belgian breweries including Duvel Moortgat. Ommegang started up in a purpose-built building based on a traditional Belgian farmhouse, set on a former hop farm in the Susqehanna River Valley, south of

, on County Route 33 in the town of Milford. Since its opening, Ommegang has grown rapidly; in early 2005, its owner said they have been unable to meet demand for their ales and as a result would add 40 percent to their production capacity over the next year. By 2003, the Belgian breweries had all been absorbed into large corporations. Feinberg and Littlefield sold their share of Ommegang in 2003 to Belgian brewer Duvel Moortgat Brewery, brewers of the

Duvel Duvel Moortgat Brewery (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat) is a Flemish family-controlled brewery founded in 1871 in the Antwerp Province ( Belgium). Its strong golden pale ale, Duvel, is exported to more than forty countries. Duvel is Brabantian, Ghent ...

Golden Ale. Duvel Moortgat brewed limited amounts of beer for Brewery Ommegang in 2006 to help meet demand, but has not brewed any since then. Brewery Ommegang distributes its beers in 46 states and the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.), Logan Circle, Jefferson Memoria ...

, including

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...

and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

but excluding

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

, and

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. Ommegang has also begun exporting to Canada, the

US Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...

, and Mexico. As of September 2018, Ommegang has begun exporting to France. Each summer, the brewery hosts a large beer-tasting event, known as ''Belgium Comes to Cooperstown''. 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. On 7 October 2007, Brewery Ommegang hosted the inaugural "CX @ Ommegang", a cyclocross race organized by Team SCARR, a cycling team with Brewery Ommegang as their title sponsor. Cyclocross is popular in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

and a cyclocross race on the grounds of a Belgian-style brewery was a natural fit. Over 150 racers from

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. sta ...

registered for the event. The course included a

hairpin turn A hairpin turn (also hairpin bend or hairpin corner) is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn about 180° to continue on the road. It is named for its resemblance to a bent metal ha ...

inside the main event tent.

Ales

Active

Ommegang brews six ales full-time: * Ommegang Abbey Ale (a classic Belgian-style abbey double) * Hennepin Farmhouse Saison (a

Saison Saison (French, "season," ) is a pale ale that is highly carbonated, fruity, spicy, and often bottle conditioned. It was historically brewed with low alcohol levels, but modern productions of the style have moderate to high levels of alcohol. ...

or seasonal Belgian-style rustic golden ale)(The first Saison in America) * Rare Vos Amber Ale (a cafe-style amber ale) * Ommegang Witte Ale (a Belgian-style wheat ale) * Three Philosophers (a Belgian-style quadrupel with authentic Belgian kriek blended in) * Neon Rainbows (a New England style india pale ale) Ommegang Abbey Ale and Three Philosophers can be aged for flavoring. Ommegang recommends ageing Hennepin up to 3 years, and Abbey and Three Philosophers up to 5 years.

Special Releases

Ommegang brews several one-off beers with a few repeat visits. 2007: * Ommegeddon Funkhouse Ale (a golden ale with ''

Brettanomyces bruxellensis ''Brettanomyces bruxellensis'' (the anamorph of ''Dekkera bruxellensis'') is a yeast associated with the Zenne, Senne valley near Brussels, Belgium. Despite its Latin species name, ''B. bruxellensis'' is found all over the globe. In the wild, it ...

'' and dry-hopping, brewed in July * Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout * Ommegang Biere de Mars (an amber ale, bottle-conditioned with ''

'') 2008: * Ommegeddon Funkhouse Ale (a golden ale with ''

'' and dry-hopping, brewed in July * Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout * Ommegang Biere de Mars (an amber ale, bottle-conditioned with ''

'') * Ommegang Rouge (Flemish red ale, collaboration with Brouwerij Bockor, 5.5%) 2009: * Ommegang Adoration Strong Winter Ale: 10% ABV, spiced, dark and malty. * Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout * Ommegang Biere de Mars (an amber ale, bottle-conditioned with ''

'') * Ommegang Ale 2009 (Belgian-style stout blended with kriek, 6.2) 2010: * Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout * Ommegang BPA (since elevated to year-round sales) * Ommegang Zuur (a Flanders Brown Ale, brewed in collaboration with Liefmans of Belgium) * Ommegang Tripel Perfection (a Belgian-style tripel, but with spices) * Ommegang Cup O' Kyndnes (a Belgian-Scotch ale, brewed with smoked malt and heather flowers) * Ommegang Adoration Strong Winter Ale 2011: *Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence (Belgian-Style Stout, 7% ABV) *Ommegang Gnomegang (Belgian-style Strong Blonde Ale, 9.4% ABV) - Fermented with Chouffe yeast in primary fermentation. *Ommegang Aphrodite Tart beer (Belgian-style ale) *Ommegang Belgian Independence Day Saison (Belgian-style saison 7.0%) 2012: *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%. Now a seasonal offering) *Ommegang Gnomegang (Belgian-style Strong Blonde Ale, 9.4% ABV) - Fermented with Chouffe yeast in primary fermentation. *Ommegang Duvel Rustica (Belgian-style Golden ale collaboration with Duvel Moortgat, 8.5%) *Ommegang XV (Belgian-style Trappist ale brewed to celebrate Ommegang's Fifteenth anniversary. 9.6%) 2013: *Ommegang Art of Darkness (a Belgian-style dark ale, 8.9% ABV) *Ommegang Fleur de Houblon (Summer Ale, 6.8% ABV) *''Game of Thrones'': Iron Throne (6.5%, March 2013) *Ommegang Gnomegang (Belgian-style Strong Blonde Ale, 9.4% ABV) - Fermented with Chouffe yeast in primary fermentation. *Ommegang Belgian Independence Day Double White (Belgian-style Double White brewed with spices, 6.6%) *Ommegang Scythe & Sickle (Harvest Ale, 5.8% ABV) *Game of Thrones: Take the Black Stout (7%, October 2013) *Ommegang Wild at Heart (an American Wild ale with 100% Brettanomyces used in primary fermentation. Nov 2013.) *Ommegang Adoration (Belgian-style Strong Winter Ale, 10% ABV)

Brewer's Obsession Series

*Ommegang Art of Darkness (a Belgian-style dark ale, 8.9% ABV) *Ommegang Wild at Heart (an American Wild ale with 100% Brettanomyces used in primary fermentation. Nov 2013.)

''Game of Thrones'' Series

In 2013, Ommegang made available the first in a series of brews based on the HBO TV series ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of '' A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the fir ...

'': * Iron Throne Blonde Ale (6.5%, March 2013) * Take The Black Stout (7%, October 2013) * 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)

Seasonal

Ommegang currently brews 4 seasonals: *Ommegang Glimmerglass (named after Glimmerglass State Park which is also located in Cooperstown) (Saison, 5.4% ABV) *Ommegang Fleur de Houblon (Summer Ale, 6.8% ABV) *Ommegang Scythe & Sickle (Harvest Ale, 5.8% ABV) *Ommegang Adoration (Belgian-style Strong Winter Ale, 10% ABV) *Ommegang Cooperstown Ale (named because of the history Ommegang shares with Cooperstown NY, Baseball Beer) (Blonde Ale, 5.5% ABV)

Awards

Witte * 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 BPA * 2010 European Beer Star: Bronze Medal, Belgian-style Ale Rare Vos * 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 Hennepin * Cave-aged Hennepin winning the 2004

Great American Beer Festival The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is an annual beer festival hosted by the Brewers Association, held in Denver, Colorado. Typically held in late September or early October, the event is currently held at Denver's Colorado Convention Center. ...

Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have be ...

for French- and Belgian-style Saisons * 2006

World Beer Cup The World Beer Cup is an international beer competition organized by the Brewers Association, a trade group A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organizat ...

Silver Medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, et ...

for French- Belgian-Style Saison * 2007 European Beer Star: Gold Medal, Spiced beer Abbey * 2010 World Beer Cup: Gold Medal, Belgian Dubbel Ale * 2012 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Dubbel Three Philosophers * 2006

Bronze Medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receiv ...

Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale * 2011 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Strong Ale * 2013 Great American Beer Festival: Bronze Medal, Belgian Style Quadruple Ale Gnomegang * 2012 European Beer Star: Gold Medal, Belgian-style Tripel XV * 2012 European Beer Star: Silver Medal, Belgian-style Strong Ale