Abbey Ale | Abbey Rare Vos | Amber Ale | King | Randy Thiel

Ommegang (named after a Belgian festival that commemorates a returning king; it went on and on for several dawns) distributes its ales to 34 states (for states with alcohol­-content restrictions, the ales' 5.1 to 9.8 percent might take it out of contention). But it can't meet the demand for its product - Abbey Ale, Hennepin Saison Farmhouse Ale, Rare Vos Amber Ale, Ommegang White, and Three Philosophers Quadrupel Belgian Style Ale - necessitating a quadrupling of its facilities. When the brewery began production in 1997, they created about 2,800 barrels of ale. Last year, production stood at 6,500. In three years they hope to triple that figure to 20,000. "It's incredibly painful not to meet the demand that's out there," says Randy Thiel, Ommegang's brewmaster. "It kind of hurts the pride."

There is plenty to be proud of here. Ommegang represents the best of the craft-beer renaissance, a turn to handmade beers that benefited from the microbrewery explosion of the '90s, and a prime example of what's been dubbed "beer tourism," a growing segment of the traveling population that uses its mug as its travel planner.

That's why I'm here today. Beyond the diners sitting down to a nice meal in Manhattan and popping open a $16.50 bottle of Ommegang's Abbey Rare Vos, a light amber ale that uses a caramel malt and grains of paradise to achieve its flavor, there are people like me who want to come and see the place, taste the beers, and witness the production process. A beer tourist, if you will. Last year, Ommegang welcomed 15,000 such beer geeks.