Brewery Ommegang debuts new Game of Thrones beer: Valar Dohaeris
By Dan Selcke
Brewery Ommegang and HBO Global Licensing have cooked up quite the line of beers since the show began. There’s the Iron Throne Blonde Ale, the Take the Black Stout, the Fire and Blood Red Ale, the Valar Morghulis dubbel ale, the Three-Eyed Raven Dark Saison, and the Seven Kingdoms Poppy Wheat Ale. Ommegang is keeping the good times rolling with a new beer based on Arya’s adventures in Braavos: the Valar Dohaeris tripel ale. It’s also bringing back the Valar Morghulis dubbel ale, to give fans the complete Arya experience…in booze form.
The Valar Morghulis and Valar Dohaeris ales, side by side.
“When we got a sense of the season’s key plot points, we knew right away Valar Dohaeris was the new beer name and that bringing back Valar Morghulis was a must,” said Ommegang General Manager and Marketing Director Bill Wetmore.
"And I think HBO’s fantastic idea to have the gift pack mimic the House of Black and White is really going to be a hit with fans. It looks killer and I think fans are going to scoop them up pretty quickly for gifts or for their own collections."
By “mimic[ing] the House of Black and White,” Wetmore means that both beers bear Jaqen H’ghar’s iron coin, the one he gave to Arya in Season 2. These are the beers of choice for No Ones everywhere.
Ommegang’s Phil Leinhart weighed in on what goes into the Valar Dohaeris. It’s 9% ABV, and is brewed with pils, wheat, oats, and flaked barley, and hopped with noble hops. They also throw some candi sugar in during brewing, resulting in a bright, sweet flavor. “Of the classic Belgian styles, the dubbel and the tripel are two of our favorites to brew, and both are styles we’re particularly well known for,” Leinhart said.
"I love the idea of releasing them together side-by-side. It is such a great way to experience them. They are also pretty hearty and should age nicely over time, so fans can stock up to last them through the winter and to fill the void until next season."
We have to wait until the summer of 2017 for new Game of Thrones episodes, so more alcohol is definitely appreciated. The Valar Dohaeris beer will be coming out on October 10 of this year.