Omer Vander Ghinste
Omer Vander Ghinste is a family brewery from Bellegem in West Flanders, close to the French border. Beer has been brewed here since 1892. The best-known name is OMER. Traditional Blond, introduced in 2008 and awarded gold at the World Beer Cup in 2010. They also make the spontaneously fermented Cuvée des Jacobins, among other beers.
- LocationKortrijk, Vlaams Gewest
- Founded1892
- TypeRegional brewery
- Untappd 3.64 · 765k ratings
- At Hoptimaal4 in stock
In stock now 4
A family brewery in Bellegem
Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste opened in 1892, when Remi Vander Ghinste bought a brewhouse for his 23-year-old son Omer. Omer named the brewery after himself and built up the brand with stained-glass advertising in local cafés. He and his wife also named their son Omer, the start of a tradition in which every firstborn is called Omer.
The brewery is in Bellegem, a Flemish village on the French border, and is run by the fourth generation: Omer-Jean Vander Ghinste. Until 2014 it was known as Brouwerij Bockor. That year Omer-Jean changed the name back to the family name. For a long time it was a regional lager brewery that sold mainly through a network of cafés in the area.
You can also visit the brewery. Tours with a tasting take place at Brouwtorenstraat 5 in Bellegem.
From regional lager to specialty beer
In 2008 OMER. arrived, which according to brewer Omer-Jean is a deliberately modern beer made to its own recipe. It is top-fermented and then undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle (bottle conditioning). The brewery uses barley malt from the Loire region in France and three aromatic hop varieties. The result has a fruity aroma and a subtle bitterness, and is meant to be drunk fresh.
OMER. Traditional Blond is 8% ABV and won gold at the World Beer Cup in 2010. The beer turned the brewery from a regional lager producer into a nationally recognised specialty beer brewer.
At the same time, the brewery sticks to traditional methods, such as the spontaneous fermentation of Cuvée des Jacobins. The range on the brewery's own site is broad: it includes LeFort, Tripel LeFort, Ypra, Ypra Hoppy Tripel, Brut Nature, Bockor, VanderGhinste Roodbruin and the Max fruit beers.
Omer Vander Ghinste at Hoptimaal
At Hoptimaal you will mainly find tripels and blondes from Omer Vander Ghinste, in 33 cl, with a strength between 6 and 10%. Highly rated on Untappd are Omer Vander Ghinste LeFort Tripel, Ypra Hoppy Tripel, OMER. Traditional Blond and Ypra Hoppy Blond. If you want to get to know the brewery, start with OMER. and then compare it with the hoppier Ypra variants.
Drink them fresh. The brewery itself says that OMER. is made to be drunk fresh. Serve the hoppy Ypra beers cool, so the hoppiness stays fresh. Drink the tripels a little less cold, so the fruity side and the strength come across better.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Omer Vander Ghinste come from?
Omer Vander Ghinste comes from Bellegem in West Flanders, Belgium, on the French border. The brewery has existed since 1892 and is still owned by the Vander Ghinste family.
What kind of beer does Omer Vander Ghinste make?
The best known is OMER. Traditional Blond, a top-fermented blonde beer of 8%. The brewery also makes tripels such as LeFort and Ypra Hoppy Tripel, and sour beers such as Cuvée des Jacobins and the kriek, framboise and rouge from the Max range.
What is the best way to drink OMER. Traditional Blond?
Fresh and cool. The brewery describes OMER. as a beer with a fruity aroma and subtle bitterness, made to be drunk fresh. It undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle.
