(Cooperstown, NY) – Brewmaster Phil Leinhart −and the entire Ommegang brew staff − are kicking off a 2010 Innovation Program, beginning with a Specialty Beer initiative. These are six beers, four totally new, to complement Ommegang’s year-round beer lineup. Six beers will be released, one every two months, starting in January/February 2010. Formats will be 750 ML bottles and 1/6 BBL kegs, and there may also be a few jeroboams tucked into the bottling schedule. No 12 oz. bottles are planned.

The idea is simple: Image interesting new brews, give Ommegang brewers opportunities to work on their chops, and keep the public and beer world engaged in what Ommegang is up to. This is made physically possible by our expanded tank capacity and our new warehouse, which is a currently being roofed in. It’s made mentally possible by reenergizing the attitude that we will not rest on our laurels. All will be released nationally, in limited quantities of roughly 2000 cases and equivalent volume in 1/6 bbl kegs.

The Specialty Beers and schedule:

Jan-Feb 2010: Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout. Very slightly revised for the 2010 edition. In release.

Mar-Apr: Ommegang BPA (Belgian-style Pale Ale). 5.8% abv. 5 malts, 2 hops, and dry-hopped. Citrus & tropical fruit aromatics.

May-Jun: Ommegang Tripel (name not yet confirmed). Around 9%, spiced, we’re in the test brew stages now.

Jul-Aug: Ommegang Zuur (Sour Ale). Around 6% ABV. Oud Bruin style beer made in collaboration with Liefmans of Belgium. Name TBD.

Sep-Oct: Ommegang Scotch Ale. A new Belgo-Scotch mash up. ABV, name and even recipe still to be confirmed.

Nov-Dec: Ommegang Adoration. Still 10% ABV, still malty, still big and spicy. But may be tweaked a bit.

The second part of the Innovation Program is Ommegang’s Exclusive Beer initiative. These are even more experimental, exclusive, and small-batch beers which will be available only at the brewery. They will not be for sale. These are essentially pilot batches, available for “sampling” and enjoying at Ommegang. The first beer, a Belgian-ish porter, called “Porter, Sorter” is warm-cellaring as of week two of January, and should be released before the end of January. As with the Specialty Beers, we will create these totally new Exclusive Beers on a bi-monthly basis, with six scheduled to appear during 2010.

Finally, Ommegang is aging several of our high-gravity beers in oak bourbon barrels, for further experiments and tasting.