Today is the 45th birthday of Hildegard Van Ostaden, brewmaster at Urthel, one of only a handful of female brewers working in Belgium. Inspired by a trip to Alaska’s barleywine festival, she also brewed the first American-style Imperial IPA in Belgium. Her beers are all great, and I love the illustrations on the labels that her husband Bas does. Join me in wishing Hildegard a very happy birthday.
Hildegard with Brian Hunt of Moonlight Brewing at the Beer Chef’s Urthel dinner.
Outside the Falling Rock, fellow GABF judges Carl Kins, from the EBCU (on left), and Hildegard (on right) along with her husband Bas (in the middle) during GABF in 2007.
Bas van Ostaden, Bruce Paton and Hildegard after their dinner in 2007.
I can think of some more female brewmasters in Belgium: An de Ryck (Brouwerij De Ryck), An Dilewijns (Dilewijns brewery), Annick Desplenter (Gruut). Also the (quite small) Oxymore brewery in the Ardennes has a brewster. And not to forget: Jean-Marie Rock (Orval) also has a female successor. And I may forgot some.