The Bowsing Ken

1023: Omer Traditional Blond

  Let's keep it all in the family - which is something actually rather rare in the brewery business these days - a family run brewery, especially when you considered its been in the family for nearly 120 years.  And, let's keep the name Omer in the family brewing business, too.
   In 1892, Remi Vander Ghinste set his son Omer up in the brewery business - to be called Brouwerij (Brewery) Omer Vander Ghinste - buying an existing brewery (name not recorded) in the town of Bellegen, Belgium, located out to the west of Brussels in the Leie Region. At first, Omer simply called his beer Bieren Omer Vander Ghinste - basically meaning simply Beers of Omer Vander Ghinste. This really didn't mean the beer was called Omer or that Omer was a certain type of beer, just Omer's Beer, or perhaps the "Beer from Omer's Brewery." The Omer Traditional Blond featured here didn't actually show up for over 100 years. Indeed, the first beers from Omer's brewery were actually more of a reddish-brown beer locally called a roodbruin. In any case, the beer sold well in the vicinity of the brewery, and was soon being enjoyed out in the surrounding countryside and even over the border into France.
  So Omer had been brewing his beer for a few years when, in 1900, he married Marguerite Vandamme, herself the daughter in a family of brewers. Family lore says that it was Marguerite's idea to install stained glass windows - bearing the words "Bieren Omer Vander Ghinste" in the windows a various cafes within the brewery's sphere, as a form of advertising. The windows figuratively said, "Come on in and enjoy one of Omer's beers." Thanks, I think I will.

  Omer and Marguerite did realize two things: (1) the stained glass windows were expensive to produce, and (2) eventually their brewery would go to their first-born son. Now, if they named this son Philippe, for example, then the windows would have to be changed since the name Omer would no longer be appropriate.  Simple solution - name your first-born son Omer, which is what they did. And the family has been doing it ever since.
  Here's the run down: Omer (1892-1929), Omer Remi (1929-1961), Omer (1961-2007) and today Omer Jean (2007-). Like I said, all in the family.
  One other, this time rather unfortunate, event in the early history of this family was the untimely death of Marguerite's aunt - who was the daughter of Felix Verschuere, the owner of the Brasserie Le Fort. With no other heirs in the line, the Brasserie Le Fort went to Marguerite, thus adding a large adjunct to the Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste.
  Over the years, the brewery has tapped into the two family's wealth of brewing knowledge, making a variety of beers (many of which I am searching for on this side of the Atlantic), often using techniques dating back for years. However, not to be stuck in the past, the Vander Ghinste's also are quite willing to take this family lore and develop it into newer ideas, which bring us to Omer Traditional Blond.
  Somewhat of a youngster on the scene, Omer Traditional Blond was introduced in 2008, and can be described as a high-fermentation - top fermented - strong blond beer, which enjoys a second fermentation in the bottle. Omer Traditional Blond hit the market with a bang, and has become so popular - the world over - that many now consider it Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste's foremost beer.
  Personally, I can tell you that this is a fine beer. I sampled it the first time a few years ago in a little corner bar in the town of Zeventem, Belgium. I knew this place and the barkeeps fairly well, so when I sat down I simply said, "Gimme something new, please." It was a hot day, and the Omer Traditional Blonds I drank helped me chill out a bit. It is a high-powered beer, so be careful how many you imbibe. I have yet to find Omer Traditional Blond here in the States, but I do believe it is shipped over here, so I will just keep on looking.

How to serve a perfect Omer Traditional Blond*

• Keep the bottle standing in the refrigerator.
• Pour the beer at a maximum temperature of 6 °C.
• Use the appropriate OMER glass. (Dave's note: Well, of course!)
• Rinse the glass with cold water and dry it with a Vileda towel.
• Hold the glass at an angle and begin pouring slowly along the side. The bottle may not touch the glass or the foam.
• Continue pouring in one movement and hold the glass vertically at the end to obtain a perfect head. The foam collar stays about 1 or 2 cm away from the edge of the glass or just reaches it. The foam may not overflow the glass !
• According to your personal taste leave 1 cm of beer in the bottle (the lees) or empty the bottle completely.
  *Courtesy of the fine folks at Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste - thanks!