First-ever Duvel and Ommegang Brewing Collaboration Crafts New Ale with Devilish Balance

Duvel Rustica, Ommegang’s first Belgian-style Golden Ale, brings two renowned brewing cultures together to create an imaginative new brew.

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) Brewery Ommegang and Duvel Moortgat are celebrating the release of a long-anticipated collaboration brew named Duvel Rustica. The new beer is a Belgian-style Golden Ale of 8.5% ABV and, like the iconic Duvel Golden Ale, is brewed with fine pils malts and hopped with noble Styrian Golding hops from Slovenia. The collaboration captures the delicate balance of the classic Duvel Belgian Golden Ale - one of the world’s most exalted beers - and adds a touch of the typical rustic fruitiness enhancing every Ommegang ale. This distinctive touch is created by using Ommegang’s proprietary yeast for primary fermentation. The secondary fermentation yeast is also quite interesting, but remains secret.

Phil Leinhart, brewmaster of Brewery Ommegang, says, “In Belgium, Duvel is painstakingly brewed with simple ingredients, yet is a marvelously complex beer that’s never been convincingly duplicated. So, instead of trying to duplicate it, we imagined a charmingly rustic Duvel, brewed in our farmstead brewery in upstate New York. Our idea was to embrace all the distinctive qualities of Duvel, yet bring our own craft-brewing skills to the beer. We honored Duvel’s essence while adding a light touch of Ommegang’s signature yeast-driven fruitiness to the flavors and aromas. To our taste, Duvel Rustica is the pinnacle of brewing collaborations.” Hedwig Neven, brewmaster of Duvel in Belgium, says, “Phil and I dreamed, talked and tasted together all along the way, for almost two years…and I’m proud and delighted with Duvel Rustica, the new American cousin of Duvel.”

Duvel Rustica pours with a radiant golden hue accented by a frothy white head. The body is lean and rounded with effervescent carbonation. The subtle interplay of malt and hops, along with citrus notes from the hops and yeast, creates rich flavors and alluring aromas. The finish offers dry warmth along with solid hop bitterness highlighting the beer’s devilish balance. Duvel Rustica is sold in 750 ML corked bottles and on draft, and is available from October through December, 2012, in all forty-three states where fine Ommegang ales are found.

 

Brewery Ommegang opened in 1997 to craft-brew fine Belgian-style ales. The brewery creates six ales year-round, as well as an extensive and imaginative range of seasonal and specialty ales. The beers have won a national following by connoisseurs of fine beer and are distributed in over 40 states. Ommegang is located on a 136-acre farmstead in Cooperstown, New York, and offers free daily tours and tastings as well as a 100-seat café and a well-stocked brewery store. Ommegang is open every day of the year except for Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, and New Year’s Day. For more information, please contact info@ommegang.com, call 1-800-544-1809, or visit www.ommegang.com. Ommegang is a member of the Duvel family of fine beers. Follow Ommegang on Twitter (@BreweryOmmegang) and like us on Facebook.

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Premier New York City Restaurants to Host Oktoberfest

Celebrate Oktoberfest with a French twist this year as the Tour de France Restaurant Group launches its savory Sausage and Suds Festival at all nine of its Manhattan restaurants from October 12-21. Executive chefs from these exceptional French restaurants promise to invigorate taste buds with dozens of special menu items featuring exquisite combinations of sausage and beer.  A host of beers from Brewery Ommegang and Duvel - all hand-selected by Tour de France's master beer sommelier Gianni Cavicchi - will accompany and enhance each flavorful sausage dish. 
BUT the best part...Endless Beer and Sausage on October 11th! There is a kick off celebration happening on October 11th at 404 (404 10th Avenue @ 33rd Street) where each restaurant is making one sausage from their menu paired with a beer also from Brewery Ommegang & Duvel. There is a VIP hour starting at 6:30 where guests will have the opp to mingle with brewers and tap the special Aphrodite beer and then General Admission begins at 7:30. The cost to attend is $53 for VIP from 6:30-10pm and $38 for General Admission from 7:30-10pm. To purchase tickets, please visit:

http://www.tourdefrancenyc.com/

The Tour De France Restaurant Group started its Sausage and Beer festival 15 years ago at their iconic Park Avenue restaurant L’Express and are celebrating in a BIG way this year! Some pairings are below to whet your appetite:

Some pairings are below that will be served at the Endless Sausage & Beer Fest:

Nice Matin- Grilled Venison Sausage creamy polenta with red currants plumped in maple syrup

Paired with- Ommegang "Abbey Ale" Dubble, Cooperstown, New York I
Inspired by the centuries-old brewing practices of the Belgian Trappist monks. This dubble has notes of figs, clove, toffee, caramel and licorice

French Roast Uptown- PEI Mussels with Chorizo Spicy Tomato and White Wine Sauce

Paired with- Ommegang "Hennepin" Saison, Cooperstown, New York
A refreshing style originally brewed for the farmers on the Wallonia country side in Belgium. Notes of lemon grass, gingersnap and floral hop aromas

Cafe D'Alsace- Duck Sausage In Puff Pastry with Green Peppercorns

Pairing- Brasserie d¹Achouffe "Mc Chouffe" Scotch Ale, Achouffe, Belgium.
Adventurous and experimental Brasserie d¹Achouffe perfects the Scottish style. Notes of Chocolate, doughy dark malts, raisins and coffee
Le Monde- Boudin Blanc With Braised Leeks & A Truffle Cream Sauce

Pairing- Duvel "Single" Strong Blonde Ale Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium.
A new lighter version of Belgium's favorite ale. Notes of pilsner malt, white pepper and lemon peel

Aroma Thyme Bistro Celebrates Belgium's Independence Day

Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville, NY is one of the most innovative restaurants in New York State when it comes to the pairing of craft beer and great food.  The restaurant offers monthly five course beer dinners in which Head Chef/Owner Marcus Guiliano pairs sustainable food with excellent beer.

This past week Guiliano partnered with Duvel Moortgat, the Belgian owners of Brewery Ommegang, to offer a special beer and food pairing to celebrate Belgium's independance day.  The restaurant offered special Belgian beers as either stand alone pints, tasting flights, or paired with a dish created by Guiliano.

Aroma Thyme offered the following pairings.  

Tarragon & Parsley Steamed Mussels
Duvel

Endive & Potato Soup
Ommegang Belgian Independence Day Ale (Spiced Saison)

Flemish Beer & Beef Stew
McChouffe

Crab Cake and Endive Slaw
Liefmans Cuvee Brut

For me, the best part of the Bistro's celebration was the opportunity to taste Ommegang's new spiced saison.  A beer with a wonderful aroma, it was thick with plenty of spices, some fruit notes, and a light dry finish.  The Cooperstown brewery used white pepper in this recipe and it shows.  Much different than it's cousin Hennepin.  You can check out a more extensive review of Ommegang's new beer here.

With the success of the Belgian celebration, Aroma Thyme will be hosting an Oktober celebration to celebrate the famous German event later in the year.