OMER. Traditional Blond

OMER. Traditional Blond is a Belgian blond beer produced by Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste, a family-owned brewery based in Bellegem, a submunicipality of Kortrijk in West Flanders, Belgium. The beer was launched in November 2008 and is named after Omer Vander Ghinste, the founder of the brewery, who began brewing in 1892. The brand is part of a broader OMER. range that includes the flagship Traditional Blond as well as other beers such as the Brut Nature variant. The brewery itself has been led since 2007 by Omer-Jean Vander Ghinste, the fourth generation of the family to run the business. OMER. Traditional Blond is a high-fermentation blond beer with secondary fermentation in the bottle, giving it a natural carbonation and a soft, fruity, full-bodied character. It has an alcohol content of 8% ABV. According to the official website, it is brewed according to a traditional recipe using ground barley from the Loire region, three types of hops from Germany, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic, and pure water. The beer is positioned as a degustation beer and an ideal apéritif to be enjoyed with friends, family, and colleagues. It is available only in bottles, not on draft, a deliberate choice that led the brewery to develop LeFort Tripel to serve the French market where draft beer is more common. The brand has received numerous international awards. In October 2009 it won a gold medal at the European Beer Star in Nuremberg, Germany, and a bronze medal at the Australian International Beer Awards in the 'Belgian and French Style Ales Packaged' category. In April 2010 it won gold in the 'Belgian-style pale strong ale' category at the World Beer Cup. In July 2011 it won gold in the 'French/Belgian Ale' category at the United States Open Beer Championship. It won bronze at the Australian International Beer Awards 2013 in the Pale Strong category, and gold in the 'Strong Blonde/Golden Ale' category at the Brussels Beer Challenge in 2013 and again in 2019. In 2015 it was named World's Best Belgian Style Blonde Ale at the World Beer Awards. The OMER. brand is deeply rooted in family tradition. When Omer Vander Ghinste started brewing in 1892, he had the inscription 'Bieren Omer Vander Ghinste' placed in stained-glass windows on café facades to promote his beers. Because replacing these costly windows at each generation change would be too expensive, he made an impactful decision: every firstborn son would be named Omer. This tradition has continued for five generations. The brewery offers visits where guests can relive its 130-year history, and it also sells limited-edition collector glasses inspired by the original stained-glass windows. The brand maintains an active presence through its website, webshop, newsletter, and events such as Father's Day promotions and collaborations like Gent Jazz.

The history of OMER. Traditional Blond is intertwined with the history of Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste, a family brewery in Bellegem, a submunicipality of Kortrijk in West Flanders, Belgium. The brewery was founded in 1892 by Omer Vander Ghinste. To promote his beers, he had the inscription 'Bieren Omer Vander Ghinste' placed in stained-glass windows on café facades. Because replacing these costly windows at each generation change would be too expensive, he decided that every firstborn son would be named Omer. This tradition has continued for five generations, and the name Omer became synonymous with the brewery's beers. The beer OMER. Traditional Blond was launched in November 2008. It was created as a high-fermentation blond beer with secondary fermentation in the bottle, using a traditional recipe. The beer quickly gained recognition in international competitions. In October 2009, it won a gold medal at the European Beer Star in Nuremberg, Germany, and a bronze medal at the Australian International Beer Awards in the 'Belgian and French Style Ales Packaged' category. In April 2010, it won gold in the 'Belgian-style pale strong ale' category at the World Beer Cup. In July 2011, it won gold in the 'French/Belgian Ale' category at the United States Open Beer Championship. Since 2007, the brewery has been led by Omer-Jean Vander Ghinste, the fourth generation of the family. Under his leadership, the brewery has continued to expand the OMER. brand. In 2013, the beer won a bronze medal at the Australian International Beer Awards in the Pale Strong category and a gold medal in the 'Strong Blonde/Golden Ale' category at the Brussels Beer Challenge. In 2015, it was awarded the title of World's Best Belgian Style Blonde Ale at the World Beer Awards. In 2019, it again won gold in the 'Strong Blonde/Golden Ale' category at the Brussels Beer Challenge. The beer is made from ground barley from the Loire region, three types of hops from Germany, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic, and pure water. It has an alcohol content of 8% ABV. It is available only in bottles, not on draft. To compensate for this in the French market, where draft beer is more common, the brewery developed LeFort Tripel. The OMER. brand has also expanded to include other beers such as OMER. Brut Nature, and the brewery offers limited-edition collector glasses inspired by the original stained-glass windows. The brewery welcomes visitors for tours that include a tasting, allowing guests to relive its 130-year history.

• 2019

  Gold medal in 'Strong Blonde/Golden Ale' at Brussels Beer Challenge.

• 2015

  Named World's Best Belgian Style Blonde Ale at World Beer Awards.

• 2013

  Bronze at Australian International Beer Awards (Pale Strong) and gold at Brussels Beer Challenge (Strong Blonde/Golden Ale).

• 2011

  Gold medal in 'French/Belgian Ale' at United States Open Beer Championship (July).

• 2010

  Gold medal in 'Belgian-style pale strong ale' at World Beer Cup (April).

• 2009

  Gold medal at European Beer Star (October) and bronze at Australian International Beer Awards.

• 2008

  OMER. Traditional Blond is launched in November.

• 2007

  Omer-Jean Vander Ghinste, fourth generation, takes over leadership of the brewery.

• 1892

  Omer Vander Ghinste starts brewing in Bellegem and places 'Bieren Omer Vander Ghinste' stained-glass windows in cafés.

Premium Belgian degustation blond beer, positioned as an apéritif beer for social occasions, with a strong family heritage narrative.

• OMER. Traditional Blond

  Belgian high-fermentation blond beer with bottle conditioning, 8% ABV, brewed with Loire barley, three hops, and pure water.

• OMER. Brut Nature

  A variant in the OMER. range, featured on the official website.

• OMER. Collector Glasses

  Limited-edition glasses inspired by the authentic stained-glass windows of Omer Vander Ghinste.

1. 1OMER. | Traditioneel Belgisch blond bieromer.be
2. 2OMER. Traditional Blond - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Omer. - Wikipedianl.wikipedia.org