Brewery Ommegang Brewing Manager Justin “Lotty” Lottridge Talks Rare Vos

We spoke with Brewery Ommegang’s brewing manager, Justin “Lotty” Lottridge, about Rare Vos, a Bière de Garde that scored an astounding 98. Additional insights were provided by Randy Thiel, one of the original brewers for Ommegang.

What inspired this beer in the first place? (Answered by Randy Thiel)
Several years before Brewery Ommegang brewed a drop of beer, Don Feinberg & Wendy Littlefield (founders) envisioned that Brewery Ommegang would have a core of three beers:

• A Belgian-style Abbey Dubbel, in the vein of a spiced holiday version.  That became Ommegang Abbey Dubbel.
• A Belgian-style strong blonde ale that straddled the fence into saison territory.  That became Hennepin.
• A Belgian-style pale ale/amber ale.  This became Rare Vos.  Rare Vos was definitely inspired by De Koninck ‘Bolleke biere’.  The evolution of this idea is described below.

I find it fascinating that the branding of these beers were fully conceived & developed even before the beers actually existed.  Kudos to Don & Wendy for that vision.

Who was most responsible for bringing it to life, and how did the idea evolve? (Answered by Randy Thiel!)
Don & Wendy originally conceived the idea;  myself and Don Feinberg were responsible for bringing it to life.  

Together, we tasted many other commercial examples that fostered good discussions about what Don wanted Rare Vos to be.  

My first trip to Belgium was in 1998 with Don Feinberg.  Other than meeting with the breweries he represented in their Belgian Beer importing business, Vanberg & DeWulf, we also tasted LOTS of Belgian beer at cafes across the countryside.  It was not unusual for Don & I to pop into a lonely tavern late at night; he’d order ten different beers all at once, much to the befuddlement of the bartender.  With ten beers poured, we would quickly taste each one and discuss its merits, background, and its faults.  Then, in a rush, he would settle the tab, and we’d be off, leaving ten unfinished beers behind.  As a young brewer, this hurt.  It felt like leaving wounded soldiers behind to fend for themselves.  Nonetheless, it was a priceless learning experience for me.

While De Konninck was a clear inspiration for Don, it wasn’t quite what he wanted Rare Vos to be.  

Essentially, he wanted a stronger, more characterful version of De Koninck. 6.5% ABV, Belgian yeast character (esters/phenolics), and spices.

How would you describe this beer to someone who has never had it before?
Rare Vos is an easy drinking 6.5% Amber Ale with a beautiful amber color and a perfect blend of Malts and Spices to make this beer match perfectly with any of your bar-style foods, making this a perfect pub-style beer that can be enjoyed at any time or at any occasion.  

What was the hardest part of getting it right? (Answered by Randy Thiel)
This is gonna sound braggadocious…, but I nailed it the first time I brewed a trial batch on my 5-gallon system.  Don was very happy with it, and we scaled it up immediately for commercial production.  That says a lot, because Don has a VERY good palate and was passionately particular about the marriage of beer flavors.

Sometimes with pilot brews, you struggle endlessly to solve a flavor issue that doesn’t fit the mission.  Lucky for me, Rare Vos came in for a smooth landing.  I’ve NOT been this lucky in my whole 30 years of brewing!

When was the moment you realized this beer had real staying power?
We realized this beer had real staying power when people would come back to the brewery and travel quite the distance just to purchase as much Rare Vos as they could!  This beer really nailed the style, and we are so proud that we have been able to make it for so long.  We wouldn’t be able to do it without everyone drinking this beer and keeping it alive.  It was also the brewery favorite for a very long time and continues to be at the top of our list.  Cheers to all you Rare Vos drinkers out there!

What is the ideal food pairing with this beer?
Rare Vos is perfect for any of your pub-style foods or BBQs!  Wings, Burgers, Ribs, and all those deep-fried foods we aren’t supposed to love pair perfectly with this beer.

Is there a memorable story about this beer that still makes you smile, cringe, or shake your head?
This is one of my ultimate cringe moments.  My third week of brewing, I was asked to take the standpipe out of one of our CCT’s, and I took the standpipe out of the wrong tank and dumped 3,300 gallons of Rare Vos down the floor!  We tried to stop it, but there was nothing we could do.  Our brewmaster at the time, Phil Leinhart, was standing right behind me when it happened and said, “Welcome to brewing.”  I thought for sure I was going to be fired!  I was cleaning up that mess for what seemed like an eternity, and I am glad to say,  I have not done that again!  Even after the “Great Beer Flood of 2009”, I still love this beer, and it’s also my wife’s favorite beer, so it will always hold a pretty big place in my heart.  

When is the best time and place for this beer?
Rare Vos is a great amber ale that can be enjoyed at any time or place, but my personal favorite time to drink this beer is at a bar with friends, with some wings in front of me and my favorite sports team on the TV!  Cheers!

Rare Vos

Read the full review and World Class Beer Highlight.