a family-owned brewery group based in Breendonck, Belgium, best known for its flagship beer, Duvel. Originally Brouwerij Moortgat, the company was founded by Jan-Leonard Moortgat in 1871. After World War I, Albert Moortgat traveled to Scotland and obtained a Scottish yeast that produced an exceptional flavor and introduced it to the brewery. The first beer they brewed with the new yeast was called Victory Ale in celebration of the end of the war. Legend has it that in 1923 a Victory Ale enthusiast in Breendonck referred to the beer as a “real devil” (“duvel” in Flemish), perhaps referring to its well-hidden alcoholic strength. The name stuck, and the beer was soon officially dubbed Duvel. At first this beer was rather dark, but over the years Duvel underwent a transformation so that by the 1970s it achieved the very pale golden color and unique taste that is observed in the modern version. Much imitated, Duvel has become the progenitor of a beer style widely known as Belgian strong golden ale. It shows a voluminous foam and has an herbal aroma that some tasters have compared with pear drops or Poire William. Duvel derives its pale color from a specially kilned pale malt and highly fermentable sugar syrup in the ratio of about 76% malt to 24% adjunct. The unique taste results from the use of the original Scottish yeast during primary fermentation. The rich, dense head is also a unique aspect and is primarily the result of partial bottle conditioning, where the beer is aged in a temperature-controlled environment for up to 2 months. See bottle conditioning. Bottle-conditioned Duvel has 8.8% alcohol by volume (ABV). In the 1960s, the brewery introduced a filtered version of Duvel that did not undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle, thus retaining some young or “green” flavor with slightly lower alcohol. Bottled versions of this beer are called Duvel Green (6.9% ABV) and have green lettering on the label. In 2008, Moortgat released a draught version of Duvel Green in some markets to mixed reviews. Duvel’s unique large tulip-shape glass has become nearly iconic since it was introduced in the 1960s, and the beer is now sold in more than 40 countries.

Duvel Moortgat also brews the Maredsous line of abbey beers, the golden lager Vedett extra blonde, and the Witbier Vedett extra white. The fifth generation of the Moortgat family took the company public in early 1999, while still holding a majority stake. Since then, there have been additional acquisitions; Brasserie d’Achouffe was acquired in 2006, Liefmans in 2008, and Antwerp’s Brouwerij De Koninck in 2010. In the Czech Republic, Duvel Moortgat has an ownership stake in Brewery Bernard, and in North America, it owns Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown in upstate New York.