Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat
Encyclopedia
Duvel Moortgat Brewery is a Flemish
family-controlled brewery
founded in 1871. Its strong golden pale ale
, Duvel, is the company's best known product which is exported to more than 40 countries. Duvel (ˈdʏːvəl) is Brabantian
, Ghent
and Antwerp dialect for devil, the standard Dutch
word being duivel.
Moortgat brewery was founded in 1871 by Jan-Leonard Moortgat, who was descended from a family of brewers that lived in Steenhuffel, Belgium. In the 1950s, the third generation of Moortgats took control of the brewery.
In the early 1970s, when the company was struggling financially, Moortgat bottled and distributed the Danish beer, Tuborg. The two companies ended this arrangement in the early 1980s, but it did save the brewery who, by then, had managed to also set up massive distribution channels for their flagship beer, Duvel. In June 1999, Duvel Moortgat NV
went public on Euronext
Brussels
.
Duvel Moortgat was an original investor in the Brewery Ommegang
craft brewery founded in Cooperstown, NY, in the late 1990s. More recently, the Belgian company took over complete control of the brewery and founded a stateside sales organization Duvel USA to handle both Ommegang and Duvel Moortgat brands and others.
In September 2006 Duvel Moortgat bought fellow Belgian brewery Brasserie d'Achouffe
.
In 2010 Duvel Moortgat nv acquired of 100% of the shares of the De Koninck Brewery
. With this acquisition, Duvel Moortgat was able to expand its portfolio of specialty beers; it also aims to reinvigorate the De Koninck beer brand.
To commemorate the end of World War I
, the Moortgats named their main beer Victory Ale. But during the 1920s, an avid drinker described the beer as "nen echten duvel" (a real devil in Brabantian
Dutch) - perhaps in reference to its formidable alcohol content (8.5% ABV
) - and the name of the beer was changed to Duvel. It has become the brewery's flagship beer. Considered by many the definitive version of the Belgian Strong Golden Ale style, Duvel is brewed with Pilsner malt and white sugar, and hopped with Saaz hops
and Styrian Goldings, the yeast still stems from the original culture of Scottish yeast bought by Albert Moortgat during a business tour of the U.K. just after World War I
.
In 1963, Moortgat began brewing its Maredsous line of abbey beers, under license of the monks of Maredsous Abbey
. There are currently three beers offered under the Maredsous name: Maredsous Blonde (blonde ale, 6% ABV), Maredsous Brune (dubbel
, 8% ABV), and Maredsous Triple (trippel, 10% ABV).
.
The Vedett, a pilsener
, was created in 1945 by Albert Moortgat, Jan's son. Since 2003, Vedett has been relaunched as a trendy luxury lager, aimed at young customers in upscale urban bars. Vedett currently has a marketing scheme that gives customers the chance to have photos of themselves placed on the labels of bottles. These bottles are then sold commercially, so one never knows when one might run into oneself in a bar.
In 1989, a new wheat beer
was launched in collaboration with Palm Breweries
called Steendonk (referring to the villages of Steenhuffel and Breendonk where the brewers are located).
In 2000, a new beer (Passendale) was born as a result of the association between Moortgat and cheese
factory Campina
(which produces Passendale cheese
). This product has since been discontinued.
In 2003 they acquired Brewery Ommegang
located in Cooperstown, New York
In 2007, a special version of the regular Duvel, which typically uses 2 hop varieties, was released. This limited-edition product added American hops of the Amarillo variety, boosted the alcohol content to 9.5% ABV and is called Duvel Tripel Hop. In 2010, a second limited-edition of Tripel Hop was brewed after a bet with the Duvel Moortgat CEO. If the Facebook group We want Duvel Tripel Hop reached at least 10,000 members, a second edition would be brewed. The group reached 10,000 members within a few months and the CEO stuck to his promise.
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
family-controlled brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
founded in 1871. Its strong golden pale ale
Pale ale
Pale ale is a beer which uses a warm fermentation and predominantly pale malt. It is one of the world's major beer styles.The higher proportion of pale malts results in a lighter colour. The term "pale ale" was being applied around 1703 for beers made from malts dried with coke, which resulted in a...
, Duvel, is the company's best known product which is exported to more than 40 countries. Duvel (ˈdʏːvəl) is Brabantian
Brabantian
Brabantian or Brabantish, also Brabantic , is a dialect group of the Dutch language. It is named after the historical Duchy of Brabant which corresponded mainly to the Dutch province of North Brabant, the Belgian provinces of Antwerp and Flemish Brabant, as well as the institutional Region of...
, Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
and Antwerp dialect for devil, the standard Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
word being duivel.
History
In the early 1970s, when the company was struggling financially, Moortgat bottled and distributed the Danish beer, Tuborg. The two companies ended this arrangement in the early 1980s, but it did save the brewery who, by then, had managed to also set up massive distribution channels for their flagship beer, Duvel. In June 1999, Duvel Moortgat NV
Naamloze Vennootschap
is the Dutch term for a public limited liability company. The company is owned by shareholders, and the company's shares are not registered to certain owners, so that they may be traded on the public stock market....
went public on Euronext
Euronext
Euronext N.V. is a pan-European stock exchange based in Amsterdam and with subsidiaries in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. In addition to equities and derivatives markets, the Euronext group provides clearing and information services...
Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
Duvel Moortgat was an original investor in the Brewery Ommegang
Brewery Ommegang
Brewery Ommegang is a Belgian brewery located near Cooperstown, New York that specializes in Belgian-style ales.-History:Ommegang began brewing Belgian-style ales in 1997...
craft brewery founded in Cooperstown, NY, in the late 1990s. More recently, the Belgian company took over complete control of the brewery and founded a stateside sales organization Duvel USA to handle both Ommegang and Duvel Moortgat brands and others.
In September 2006 Duvel Moortgat bought fellow Belgian brewery Brasserie d'Achouffe
Brasserie d'Achouffe
The Brasserie d'Achouffe is a Belgian brewery based in Achouffe. It was founded in 1982 by two brothers-in-law, Pierre Gobron and Christian Bauweraerts, as a hobby. In 1984, Gobron decided to quit his job and to concentrate on his brewery, joined four years later by Bauweraerts. That year , they...
.
In 2010 Duvel Moortgat nv acquired of 100% of the shares of the De Koninck Brewery
De Koninck Brewery
De Koninck Brewery is a Belgian brewery based in Antwerp De Koninck Brewery (Brouwerij De Koninck) is a Belgian brewery based in Antwerp De Koninck Brewery (Brouwerij De Koninck) is a Belgian brewery based in Antwerp (De Koninck Brewery (Brouwerij De Koninck) is a [[Beer in Belgium|Belgian]]...
. With this acquisition, Duvel Moortgat was able to expand its portfolio of specialty beers; it also aims to reinvigorate the De Koninck beer brand.
Duvel
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Moortgats named their main beer Victory Ale. But during the 1920s, an avid drinker described the beer as "nen echten duvel" (a real devil in Brabantian
Brabantian
Brabantian or Brabantish, also Brabantic , is a dialect group of the Dutch language. It is named after the historical Duchy of Brabant which corresponded mainly to the Dutch province of North Brabant, the Belgian provinces of Antwerp and Flemish Brabant, as well as the institutional Region of...
Dutch) - perhaps in reference to its formidable alcohol content (8.5% ABV
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
) - and the name of the beer was changed to Duvel. It has become the brewery's flagship beer. Considered by many the definitive version of the Belgian Strong Golden Ale style, Duvel is brewed with Pilsner malt and white sugar, and hopped with Saaz hops
Saaz hops
Saaz is a "noble" variety of hops.It was named after the Czech city of Žatec . This hop is used extensively in Bohemia to flavor beer styles such as the Czech pilsener.Saaz hops accounted for more than 2/3 of total 2009 hop production in the Czech Republic....
and Styrian Goldings, the yeast still stems from the original culture of Scottish yeast bought by Albert Moortgat during a business tour of the U.K. just after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Maredsous
Maredsous Abbey
Maredsous Abbey is a Benedictine monastery at Denée near Namur in Belgium. It is a member of the Annunciation Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation.-Foundation:...
. There are currently three beers offered under the Maredsous name: Maredsous Blonde (blonde ale, 6% ABV), Maredsous Brune (dubbel
Dubbel
The dubbel is a Belgian Trappist beer naming convention. The origin of the dubbel was a beer brewed in the Trappist Abbey of Westmalle in 1856. The abbey had, since 10 December 1836, brewed a witbier that was quite sweet and light in alcohol for consumption by the paters. The new beer, however,...
, 8% ABV), and Maredsous Triple (trippel, 10% ABV).
Other brands
In 1930, the brewery launched Bel PilsPilsener
Pilsner is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the city of Pilsen , Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842, when a bottom-fermented beer was first produced. The original Pilsner Urquell beer is produced there today.-Origin:Until the mid-1840s, most ...
.
The Vedett, a pilsener
Pilsener
Pilsner is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the city of Pilsen , Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842, when a bottom-fermented beer was first produced. The original Pilsner Urquell beer is produced there today.-Origin:Until the mid-1840s, most ...
, was created in 1945 by Albert Moortgat, Jan's son. Since 2003, Vedett has been relaunched as a trendy luxury lager, aimed at young customers in upscale urban bars. Vedett currently has a marketing scheme that gives customers the chance to have photos of themselves placed on the labels of bottles. These bottles are then sold commercially, so one never knows when one might run into oneself in a bar.
In 1989, a new wheat beer
Wheat beer
Wheat beer is a beer that is brewed with a large proportion of wheat. Wheat beers often also contain a significant proportion of malted barley. Wheat beers are usually top-fermented...
was launched in collaboration with Palm Breweries
Palm Breweries
Palm Breweries is a brewery company. It owns several different Belgian breweries.-History:As early as 1597, records can be found in Steenhuffel's archives detailing a manor named Den Hoorn....
called Steendonk (referring to the villages of Steenhuffel and Breendonk where the brewers are located).
In 2000, a new beer (Passendale) was born as a result of the association between Moortgat and cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
factory Campina
Campina (company)
FrieslandCampina is a Dutch dairy cooperative. It is the result of the merge between Royal Friesland Foods and Campina. Main brands include Friesche Vlag, Chocomel, Fristi, Dutch lady, Appelsientje, Milner, Campina, Landliebe, Optiwell and Mona.-History:...
(which produces Passendale cheese
Passendale cheese
Passendale cheese, named for Passendale, the village where it originated, is one of the best-known cheeses in Belgium. The regular Passendale cheese exists in two variations called Passendale Classic and Passendale Prelude. And next to the regular Passendale, there is a quality version called...
). This product has since been discontinued.
In 2003 they acquired Brewery Ommegang
Brewery Ommegang
Brewery Ommegang is a Belgian brewery located near Cooperstown, New York that specializes in Belgian-style ales.-History:Ommegang began brewing Belgian-style ales in 1997...
located in Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
In 2007, a special version of the regular Duvel, which typically uses 2 hop varieties, was released. This limited-edition product added American hops of the Amarillo variety, boosted the alcohol content to 9.5% ABV and is called Duvel Tripel Hop. In 2010, a second limited-edition of Tripel Hop was brewed after a bet with the Duvel Moortgat CEO. If the Facebook group We want Duvel Tripel Hop reached at least 10,000 members, a second edition would be brewed. The group reached 10,000 members within a few months and the CEO stuck to his promise.