About the Orval Trappist Brewery

Orval Trappist Ale is brewed and bottle-conditioned at the brewery inside Notre Dame d'Orval monastery, founded around 1070 AD in the pastoral Belgian countryside. After a turbulent history including being pillaged and burned more than once, the current abbey and brewey was rebuilt, on the same grounds, in the 1920s and 30s.

Three different malts, two types of hops, Belgian candi sugar, complex fermentation with multiple yeasts, dry-hopping and bottle conditioning all contribute to the great character and complexity of Orval. This vintage-dated and unique beer can be cellared up to five years.

According to legend, Princess Matilda was passing through this region in about 1070 with her retinue. She stopped at a clear spring and trailed her hand in the water - and her wedding ring, a gift of her recently-deceased husband, slipped off her finger and sank. Distraught, she knelt and prayed fervently for its return . . . and a trout swam to the surface with the ring in its mouth, returning it to her. She is said to have claimed "Truly, this is a golden valley!" (French: Or = gold; val = valley) She gave the land to the church, and the trout with the gold ring can be seen to this day in the Orval logo.

Here's a video tour of Orval:

Les ambassadeurs d'Orval

Orval Ambassadors meet the following criteria: proudly display Orval Trappist Ale within their bar or restaurant, Orval Trappist Ale is offered at cold or at room temperature, they use the proper Orval goblet to serve the beer, and the bar or restaurant must offer young (fresh) and oude (cellared) bottles of Orval Trappist Ale.

As of 2021, there are nine Orval Ambassadors in the United States:

Brookline, MA; The Publick House, at 1648 Beacon Street

Philadelphia, PA; Monk's Cafe, at 264 S. 16th Street

Cleveland, OH; Winking Lizard Tavern, at 811 Huron Road

San Francisco, CA; Toronado, at 547 Haight Street

Los Angeles, CA; Little Bear, at 1855 Industrial Street

Louisville, KY; Holy Grale, at 1034 Bardstown Rd.

Decatur, GA; Brick Store Pub, at 125 E. Court Square

Milwaukee, WI; Cafe Benelux, at 346 N. Broadway

Orlando, FL; Redlight Redlight, at 2810 Corrine Dr.

Orval Trappist Ale

Orval Trappist Ale Sunset-orange color; a fruity and slightly acidic bouquet, firm body, profound hop bitterness, and long, dry finish.