E-Malt.com News article: 4457

USA: Duvel Moortgat USA has named Bob Stacey, a 20-year veteran of the beer industry, as Sales Manager, starting on January 3, 2005. He will be responsible for the Northeast region (NYC, CT, RI, MA, NH, and ME). Stacey will have an impressive roster of brands to sell including Duvel Moortgat’s flagship brand Duvel, as well as Brewery Ommegang’s brands including Ommegang Abbey, Hennepin, Rare Vos, Witte, and Three Philosophers.

Stacey brings with him an impressive resume that started with a ten-year stint at Anheuser-Busch Distributors of NY, where he worked his way up from a sales rep to sales manager. He then went on a brief hiatus to open up his own blues bar, managing everything from staffing to booking acts. But his true love is the beer business, which brought him to Interbrew/Labatt USA. There, his major accomplishments included turning around the Bass brand and launching the Stella Artois brand in the US.

“Bob has clearly demonstrated that he can sell premium brands in the Northeast with his experience with Labatt and Stella. Plus, he has extensive experience in the draft market, which we want to pursue in earnest,” said Laurent Demuynck, President of Duvel Moortgat USA. “We’re very excited to put this talent to work for us.”

“As my taste in beer has matured, so has my need to be involved in growing the very best beers. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege to work on many great brands; now with Duvel and Ommegang, I have reached the pinnacle,” said Stacey. “Duvel’s the cream of the crop in Belgium and I want to let the US market know it too.”

Stacey joins Patrick La Zelle, who is in charge of the East Coast below NY City, form a terrific team that brings energy, experience and distribution know how to guide the company through fast growing times.

Duvel (pronounced DOO-vle in Flemish and Doo-VELL in French), brewed at the Moortgat Family brewery (est. 1871) in Puurs, near Antwerp, is Belgium’s leading specialty beer and acclaimed as “one of the world’s most distinctive and individualistic beers” by Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter. Duvel has beautiful golden body and white foamy head, which make the beer seem completely innocent. But don’t let its looks fool you. Duvel’s fair appearance masks a smooth, complex taste and 8.5% alcohol (by volume) brooding beneath. These seemingly opposing characteristics are the product of Duvel’s three fermentations, the use of premium Pilsner malts and high-grade Styrian and Saaz hops….and time. From brewing-to-shelf takes about three months, which allows a good deal of maturation, particularly in the bottle where the third fermentation takes place.

Duvel Moortgat USA, Ltd. imports and markets Duvel on the Eastern Seaboard, while Belukus Marketing, Inc. handles Duvel in 37 western states and the Maredsous line of abbey-style beers nationwide. Duvel Moortgat USA also markets and distributes in the entire U.S. the Belgian-style ales from Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, N.Y.: Ommegang Abbey, Hennepin, Rare Vos, Three Philosophers, and Witte.


20 March, 2005