Honorable Mention: Ommegang Rosetta
In today's world of endless corporate machinations it can sometimes be a bit mind boggling as to who exactly owns what, where it is headquartered, when the acquisition occurred, and so on... To be honest, when it comes to beer all of this sometimes does not matter all that much. Yes, I fully acknowledge that in some instances predatory corporate wheeling and dealing can be devastating, the big taking over the small. I would suggest - and I think a lot of people espouse this principle - if you don't particularly like what is going on, then don't buy their stuff anymore. For me, the main relationship to truly worry about is between the brewmaster and myself. Is the beer still good, made with care, and with the proper ingredients? Then, well, it's ok with me, even if the brewery is part of a big international conglomerate.
Brewery Ommegang - an American brewery specializing in Belgian - style beers. Their Rosetta beer is actually brewed in Belgium.
Ok - so, in a couple of hundred words or less, here is the history of the Brewery Ommegang, located in the countryside outside of Cooperstown, New York. Back in 1997, a duo of beverage importers by the names of Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield decided to start brewing their own beer, specializing in Belgian-style brewing. From the outset, they had great support from a partnership with few genuine Belgian breweries, namely the folks at Duvel Moortgat, Affligen and Scaldis. Things went well, with a number of different beer styles in production. Then in January 2003, Duvel Moortgat bought out 100% of the Brewery Ommegang, and that is pretty much where it stands today. For me, the offerings at Brewery Ommegang are some darn good beers. I see this as proof that a big guy can assimilate a small guy, and yet the small guy still makes quality beer, still brewed to the original standard.
So, some may ask - "Why is an American brewery on a page that is only about Belgian beers? Sure, they brew Belgian-style beers, but are they really Belgian?" Well, although the majority of Ommegang's beers are made there in upstate New York, a few are actually brewed in Belgium, at one of their affiliated breweries. However, these beers did not make it into the big "All Belgian Beers" book. Even so, I think they deserve an honorable mention here. Cheers!
So, it’s a hot day outside and you want a tasty, refreshing beer - well this is it - Brewery Ommegang Rosetta. From the mind of brewmaster Phil Leinhart, Brewery Ommegang Rosetta is an artful blend of a Flemish oud bruin ale and a kriek beer that is aged atop cherries for some three years. The result - fresh, tangy and thoroughly enjoyable. Introduced back in 2016, Ommegang Rosetta qualifies for being on this page as it is actually brewed at the Brewery Liefman, in the Eastern Flemish village of Oudenaarde, and part of the Duvel Moortgat clan of breweries. The name Rosetta is a nod towards the head brewmaster at Brewery Liefman, namely Rosa Merckx.
By the way, the name “Ommegang” harkens back to the olden days. In 1549, King Charles V - the Holy Roman Emperor - visited the city of Brussels, Belgium, and like any emperor worth his crown, he towed behind him a lengthy train of courtiers. This procession was soon joined by many of the citizens of Brussels, and turned out to be so much fun, it became an annual event - called the Ommegang, which loosely translated means “walking about.” Even to this day there is still an annual Ommegang Festival in Brussels.