The brewery planned to call the ale Obamagang, but ran into problems with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). “The TTB won’t let us call the beer ‘Obamagang’ on the keg label,” said Larry Bennett of Ommegang. “They have also rejected the name ‘Inauguration Ale’. So it will be known legally as Ale 2009.”
The beer is described as a dark Belgian-style brown ale with “a bit of kriek and a touch of chocolate.” In addition, there are notes of cherry, caramel, and dried dark fruits, adding flavour to the 6.2% alcohol content beer.

The brewer insists that the ale is not an endorsement of the new president. Yet the label gives the beer an Obama-like pedigree: “Created by blending an African father with an American mother, ageing in Indonesia and Hawaii, then artfully straining outsider politics through Chicago democratic machinery. Obamagang emerges from the bottle with cool, elegant appeal and surprising strength”.

Ommegang is one of several US breweries that have won over drinkers by brewing Belgian-style beers. Founded in 1997 and based in a replica “Belgian farmhouse,” Ommegang is now a subsidiary of the Flemish brewing firm Duvel Moortgat, based in Breendonk.

The news is not so good for Belgians who might want to toast Obama in this country. The brewery says that Ale 2009 will only be available in draught form in certain US cities, including Washington DC, New York and Chicago. Classified as a seasonal beer, it will most likely not be produced after the current beer season ends. So there’s not much time left to down a glass.