I think I was one of many beer fans who cheered when we discovered that Brewery Ommegang has arrived in Alberta. I have had a couple of bottles of their elixir over the years, thanks to friends traveling in the U.S., but knowing I can buy a bottle down the street is pretty special.

I am certain this opening has divided my readership. Half of you are nodding your heads in agreement and the other are saying “what the hell is he talking about?”. There may be one or two of you aghast that I speak so glowingly of Ommegang, but I really don’t know where you are coming from.

But let me take a step back. Ommegang is a New York brewery that specializes in brewing Belgian-style ales. And, in my and most beer drinkers opinion, they do a damn fine job of it. It may help that they are owned these days by the makers of Duvel, but their brewing chops were well established long before that purchase. In short, if you are looking for a quality Belgian ale, they rank up there with the best.

So, after hearing about their arrival in our fair province, I knew I had to write about them. There are a handful available in Alberta, giving me some choice. I could have picked one of their more famous beer, like Three Philosophers, Abbey Ale or Hennepin (all good beer). But I decided to go for one of their lesser known variants, just to open some mouths. Plus I had a second reason. I chose the BPA, their version of a Belgian Pale Ale. Not a common style anywhere, and Alberta, until now, has only had De Koninck as an example – one with which I am not particularly enamoured.

BPA it was, although I could have happily highlighted three or four others. The review was in this week’s Vue Weekly – you can read it here. I liked this beer for its willingness to be hoppy and Belgian at the same time. For the first time in Canada I feel like I have tasted a beer that deserves the title Belgian Pale Ale.