After 14 years, Phil Leinhart is no longer the brewmaster at Brewery Ommegang.
Leinhart, who joined Duvel Moortgat USA-owned, Cooperstown, New York-based craft brewery in January 2007, confirmed his exit from the company.
“It’s been a great experience with some really great people and I am very proud of what we have accomplished in terms of building the brewery to one of the highest quality reputations in the USA,” he said.
“Equally, I am very grateful to Duvel for the opportunity they gave me when I joined from Anheuser-Busch in 2007,” he continued. “It has been a great journey; I have been fortunate to work alongside Hedwig Neven at Duvel in Belgium, Steven Pauwels at Boulevard and Matt Brynildson at Firestone Walker. Together, we have done some great things. At the same time, things change, and I am now looking forward to the next challenge and using my knowledge and experience to build and do more great things in the future.”
What exactly that next challenge is remains unclear at the moment.
“I am taking some time to consider what to do next and what the next challenge should be, but I have a large network within the brewing industry and have already had some leads of people looking for a brewmaster with my knowledge, reputation and experience,” Leinhart added.
Leinhart said he looks back fondly at his entire tenure with Brewery Ommegang.
“I can’t name one single thing or beer that I’m most proud of at Ommegang,” he said. “It’s the total package — bringing my knowledge/experience to Ommegang and working with great people to increase the level and consistency of quality, bringing several exciting new beers to market, collaborating with our sister breweries here in the U.S. and in Belgium. It was all an amazing experience and a lot of fun.”
Duvel Moortgat USA CEO Jeff Krum declined to comment on Leinhart’s exit from the company.
Leinhart’s departure from Brewery Ommegang follows the April exit of Doug Campbell, who had led the strategic and operational direction of the brewery for four years as president and general manager.
Both the roles — brewmaster and president/general manager — will not be backfilled. Instead, Brewery Ommegang will pull from resources within Duvel Moortgat USA, with Boulevard Brewing brewmaster Steven Pauwels offering technical support on an as-needed basis. The brewery will also receive back-office support from within the Duvel family.
Brewery Ommegang’s volume has declined in each of the last four years (-14% in 2019; -8% in 2018; -11% in 2017; and -10% in 2016), according to data from the Brewers Association (BA). The company produced an estimated 31,000 barrels in 2019, down from a peak of 49,000 barrels in 2015.