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 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.
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 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.
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 and a cyclocross race on the grounds of a Belgian-style brewery was a natural fit. Over 150 racers from New York State registered for the event. The course included a hairpin turn inside the main event tent.[citation needed]
Alesedit
Activeedit
Ommegang brews six ales full-time:
Ommegang Abbey Ale (a classic Belgian-style abbey double)
Hennepin Farmhouse Saison (a Saison or seasonal Belgian-style rustic golden ale)(The first Saison in America)
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 Releasesedit
Ommegang brews several one-off beers with a few repeat visits.
^"Our Brewery". Retrieved 2015-10-22. Our brewhouse is capable of making 50 barrels (1500 gallons or 650 cases) per batch. We are currently producing about 35,000 barrels (455,000 cases annually).
^"Ommegang Game of Thrones Iron Throne Blonde Ale • Gear Patrol". Gear Patrol. 2012-12-19. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
^"Brewery Ommegang – Where Heaven met earth ... And stayed awhile. - Brewer of Belgian-Style Beers in America".
^"2004 Great American Beer Festival Winners List". Great American Beer Festival. 2004. Archived from the original on April 22, 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
^ ab"2006 World Beer Cup Winners List.pdf" (PDF). World Beer Cup. 2006. Retrieved 2013-04-28.