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Photos by Cliff Lucas
This editorially independent podcast has been supported by VISITFLANDERS as part of the “Game Changers” series of stories.
In September just past, in the small village of Bellegem in West Flanders, now 58 year-old Omer-Jean Vander Ghinste presided over the 130th anniversary of his family brewery, Brouwerij Vander Ghinste, known as Brouwerij Bockor until 2014 when Omer-Jean changed the brewery’s name back to the family’s name.
The story of the brewery is a good example of how regional family breweries in Belgium operate: their strong focus on local café properties as a reliable distribution network for their beers; their flexibility in switching from Lager to specialty ales as the market changed over generations; and their connection to the villages and families embedded in their very existence.
Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste’s beers include regional specialties such as the Vander Ghinste Roodbruin and the Cuvée des Jacobins mixed fermentation beers; European Lagers such as Bockor Pils and Blauw Export; and a range of classic Belgian ales, including Bellegems Wit, Lefort Tripel, and their latest brett-conditioned release, Brut Nature.
But it’s a Strong Blonde Ale of 8% ABV that the brewery released in 2008—OMER Traditional Blond—which has transformed the fortunes of the brewery from a regional Lager producer to a nationally recognised producer of “specialty beer”.
OMER Traditional Blond is a highly carbonated, fruity, and relatively dry ale with a pleasant but subtle bitterness. The beer not only sheds light on Omer-Jean Vander Ghinste’s vision to double-down on the family heritage of the brewery, but communicates more generally the complex story of generational transition in Belgian family brewing.
So just how do you go about creating a beer brand that reflects the legacy of your family?
Sit back, listen, and enjoy the story of OMER Traditional Blond.
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