![]() | |
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Brewing |
Founded | 1871 |
Headquarters | , |
Products | Beer |
Production output | 1,400,000 hl (2015) [1] |
Website | www |
Duvel Moortgat Brewery (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat) is a Flemish family-controlled brewery founded in 1871 in Antwerp Province, Belgium. Its strong golden pale ale, Duvel, is exported to more than forty countries. Duvel is Brabantian, Ghent and Antwerp dialect for devil , the standard Dutch word being duivel [ˈdœy̯vəl] . [2] Other popular beers include Maredsous and Vedett.
The brewery Moortgat was founded in 1871 by Jan-Leonard Moortgat, who was descended from a family of brewers that lived in Steenhuffel, Belgium. [3] 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, which 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 Belgian-influenced Brewery Ommegang craft brewery founded in Cooperstown, New York, United States, in 1997. Ommegang was set up by Wendy Littlefield and Don Feinberg, who had imported Duvel products since 1982. In 2003 the Belgian company took complete control of the brewery [4] and set up Duvel USA to handle both Ommegang and Duvel Moortgat brands and others.
In 2001, Duvel acquired 50% of the Czech brewery Bernard. [5]
In 2006, Duvel Moortgat bought fellow Belgian brewery Brasserie d'Achouffe. [6]
In June 2008 they bought Liefmans Brewery [7] of Oudenaarde in Belgium, who are best known for their fruit beers.
In 2010, Duvel Moortgat acquired 100 percent of the shares of the De Koninck Brewery of Antwerp.
In 2014, Duvel Moortgat acquired Boulevard Brewing Company, which is located in Kansas City, Missouri. [2] In July 2015, it was announced that Duvel Moortgat would acquire Paso Robles, California craft brewer Firestone Walker Brewing Company. [8] [9]
In September 2015 they bought an undisclosed stake in Brouwerij 't IJ, a Belgian-influenced brewery in Amsterdam. [10]
In 2016 they bought 35% of Birrificio del Ducato based near Parma in Italy, and brought that stake up to 70% in 2018. [11]
To commemorate the end of World War I, the Moortgats named their main beer Victory Ale. In 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. [12] Considered by many the definitive version of the Belgian Strong Pale Ale style, Duvel is brewed with Pilsner malt and dextrose, 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 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. Between 2010 and 2016, 6 editions of Duvel Tripel Hop were released: [13]
In May 2016, [13] Duvel issued special edition blind tasting packs of the six releases of Duvel Tripel Hop, and opened an online vote for people to choose their favourite edition. In June 2016 [13] it was announced that the most popular edition was the 2012 Duvel Tripel Hop: Citra, and that this would become a permanent addition to the Duvel Moortgat portfolio.
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). [14]
In 1930, the brewery launched Bel Pils.
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 campaign that gives customers the chance to have photos of themselves placed on the labels of bottles. [15]
In 1989, a wheat beer was launched in collaboration with Palm Breweries called Steendonk (referring to the villages of Steenhuffel and Breendonk where the brewers are located).[ citation needed ]
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[ when? ] been discontinued.
In 2017, ‘t Ei van de Duvel (The Devil's Egg) a limited edition black rye IPA was introduced, a collaboration between Duvel Moortgat and Brouwerij 't IJ. [16]
In 2018, Duvel Single Fermented Belgian Golden Ale, a 6.8% Belgian Golden Ale that is fermented only once and packaged in 500ml cans, was introduced. [17]
In 2020, 't IJ van de Duvel (The Devil's Egg) a collaboration between Duvel Moortgat and Brouwerij 't IJ was introduced a limited edition hazy IPA. [16]
Victory Brewing Company (Victory) is a brewery founded in 1996 in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, United States. The main brands are HopDevil, Prima Pils, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey, DirtWolf, and Storm King, which are distributed in 34 states and nine countries. Victory Brewing is located at 420 Acorn Lane Downingtown, Pennsylvania 19335.
Westmalle Brewery is a Trappist brewery in the Westmalle Abbey, Belgium. It produces three beers, designated as Trappist beer by the International Trappist Association. Westmalle Tripel is credited with being the first golden strong pale ale to use the term Tripel.
Beer in Belgium includes pale ales, lambics, Flemish red ales, sour brown ales, strong ales and stouts. In 2018, there were 304 breweries in Belgium, including international companies, such as AB InBev, and traditional breweries, such as Trappist monasteries. On average, Belgians drink 68 litres of beer each year, down from around 200 each year in 1900. Most beers are bought or served in bottles, rather than cans, and almost every beer has its own branded, sometimes uniquely shaped, glass. In 2016, UNESCO inscribed Belgian beer culture on their list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Palm Breweries is a brewery company. It owns several different Belgian breweries. Total production was 1,700,000 hl of beer in 2004. The brewery was a member of the Belgian Family Brewers society until 2016.
Brewery Ommegang is a brewery located near Cooperstown, New York, United States, that specializes in Belgian-style ales.
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 September 2006, the brewery was sold to the Duvel Moortgat brewery group.
De Koninck Brewery (Brouwerij De Koninck) is a Belgian brewery founded in 1833 and based in Antwerp. The glass in which De Koninck's flagship beer is served is called a bolleke, although this term is most colloquially used to refer to a glass filled with the beer itself and is the way the beer is ordered in bars.
Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a craft brewery with operations in Paso Robles, Buellton and Venice, California. The brewery was established in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker. The original brewery was located on a family vineyard in Los Olivos, California. Their first beer, Double Barrel Ale, was made in a patented variation of the Burton union system. The main brewing operations moved to Paso Robles in 2001. Firestone Walker is today known for bestselling beers such as 805 and Mind Haze. Firestone Walker celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021 and is now California's second largest craft brewery.
De Dolle Brouwers is a Belgian brewery, based in Esen in the province of West Flanders.
St. Bernardus is a brewery in Watou, Belgium.
Alvinne is a small brewery in the hamlet of Moen near the Belgian city of Zwevegem, founded in 2002.
Captain Lawrence Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Elmsford, New York. The brewery is owned and run by head brewer Scott Vaccaro. Vaccaro, a homebrewer since 1995, trained in brewing science at UC Davis.
The Smisje Brewery, with a tiny production of only 200 hectoliters per year, is one of the smallest existing Belgian craft breweries. Begun in 1995 by former printer and homebrewer Johan Brandt, it was originally titled "De Regenboog", the same name as his earlier printing business. Brandt is also a bee-keeper, which accounts for the prominent use of honey in some of the brewery's offerings, including its first commercial beer, which was named 't Smisje or "the little blacksmith" to reflect the hand-crafted nature of the product as well as a local landmark blacksmith's house near the brewery's original location.
Family Brewery Bernard is a brewery in Humpolec, Czech Republic, founded in 1597. It is owned by Rodinný pivovar Bernard, a. s..
Tripel is a term used by brewers mainly in the Low Countries, some other European countries, and the U.S. to describe a strong pale ale, loosely in the style of Westmalle Tripel. The origin of the term is unknown, though the main theory is that it indicates strength in some way. It was used in 1956 by the Trappist brewery, Westmalle, to rename the strongest beer in their range, though both the term Tripel and the style of beer associated with the name, were in existence before 1956. The style of Westmalle's Tripel and the name was widely copied by the breweries of Belgium, and in 1987 another Trappist brewery, the Koningshoeven in the Netherlands, expanded their range with a beer called La Trappe Tripel, though they also produced a stronger beer they termed La Trappe Quadrupel. The term spread to the U.S. and other countries, and is applied by a range of secular brewers to a strong pale ale in the style of Westmalle Tripel.
Het Anker Brewery is a Flemish brewery in Mechelen, founded in 1471 by a community of Beguines. In 1872, the brewery was acquired by Louis Van Breedam, who renamed it Het Anker in 1904. Expanding its assortment from lager to ale, it began producing "Emperor beer" after World War II. In 1960, it renamed it "Gouden Carolus" after Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. They opened a brasserie and a hotel, and in 2010 began producing a single malt whisky, distilled from the Gouden Carolus Tripel.
Vanberg & DeWulf was an American importation business that brought premium Belgian beer to the United States. Its portfolio was purchased by Total Beverage Solution.
The Archipelago Brewery is a Singaporean brewery owned by Heineken Asia Pacific. It labels itself as "Singapore's Craft Brewery".
Bosteels Brewery is a brewery in Buggenhout, Belgium. The brewery was founded in 1791 and was owned and operated by the same family. Bosteels brew three beers: Tripel Karmeliet, DeuS, and Pauwel Kwak. In 2019 a new beer was added for the first time in 17 years; Monte Cristo.
Van Honsebrouck is a Belgian brewery in Ingelmunster, Belgium. Founded in 1865 as Sint-Jozef Brewery, it was renamed to Brewery Van Honsebrouck in 1953. It is one of two breweries outside of Pajottenland to produce lambic beer.