Omer Vander Ghinste

The Omer Vander Ghinste Brewery, named for its founder, began commercial brewing operations in 1892, and has been continuously in family hands since then. Still located in Bellegem, a village in the Flanders region of Belgium near the French border, the brewery released its very first ale to high acclaim and its fortunes have flourished ever since.

Helmed by five generations of the Vander Ghinste family - of whom all first-born sons are by tradition named Omer - Bockor depended upon a combination of brewers' craft, innovation, marketing savvy and tenacity to grow into an international brand, yet still it maintains close ties to the village in which it was born, striking a balance between modernity and tradition.