Vanberg & DeWulf
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Beverage import |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | Donald Feinberg |
| Fate | Portfolio acquired by Total Beverage Solution in 2014 |
Key people | Donald Feinberg, Wendy Littlefield |
| Products | Belgian beers import |
Vanberg & DeWulf operated as an American importer dedicated to bringing high-quality Belgian beers to the United States. In 2014, Total Beverage Solution acquired their portfolio.
History
Established in 1982 by entrepreneur Donald Feinberg, Vanberg & DeWulf experienced growth in 1990 when Wendy Littlefield, Feinberg's wife, became a partner. The company concentrated solely on independent, family-owned Belgian breweries, introducing prominent names such as Duvel, Castelain, Rodenbach, Kwak, Affligem, and Frank Boon's lambics to the American market. Additionally, they brought French Bieres de Gardes to the U.S. through Jenlain and Brasserie Castelain.
In 1996, Vanberg & DeWulf collaborated with Duvel Moortgat and Scaldis to launch Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York. This brewery was the first in the U.S. to specialize in Belgian-style bottle-conditioned beers finished with corks. By 2003, Duvel Moortgat had purchased Vanberg & DeWulf’s controlling interest in Ommegang as well as their import rights for Duvel beers.
Following the sale of Ommegang, Feinberg rebuilt the company's portfolio over a five-year period. In 2011, Vanberg & DeWulf celebrated three decades of operation with the Coast-to-Coast Toast—a nationwide Belgian beer promotion involving 350 leading U.S. accounts and the app Untappd. This November event has evolved into the largest single-day celebration of craft and specialty beer culture across the nation.
The year 2014 marked a pivotal shift when Vanberg & DeWulf’s portfolio was transferred to Total Beverage Solution, altering its business strategy and market footprint.
Beers
Vanberg & DeWulf imported a selection of forty-three beers from eleven breweries located in four countries, emphasizing Belgian and Belgian-inspired styles. Their portfolio comprised:
Belgian Classic Brewers:
- Geuzestekkerij DeCam (Gooik, Belgium)
- Brasserie Dubuisson (Pipaix, Belgium)
- Brasserie Dupont (Tourpes, Belgium)
- Brouwerij Slaghmuylder (Ninove, Belgium)
- Brouwerij Dilewyns (Dendermonde, Belgium)
The “Honorary Belgian Beer” lineup from Vanberg & DeWulf included:
- Brasserie Castelain (Benifontaine, France) – Bieres de Gardes
- Amiata Birrificio Artigianale (Arcidosso, Italy)
- Brewery Olvisholt (Iceland)
- Green Jack Brewing Company (UK)
- Borg Brugghús (Iceland)
Awards & accomplishments
- In 1995, Vanberg & DeWulf released the first U.S. edition of Michael Jackson’s The Great Beers of Belgium, which has since reached its sixth printing. They also partnered with Belgian chef Ruth Van Waerebeke, author of Everybody Eats Well in Belgium, a significant resource for American chefs.
- Founders Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield were honored as the first Americans inducted into the Belgian Brewers Guild.
- During the late 1990s, Feinberg and Littlefield received nominations for Belgium’s Mercurius Award for their international promotion of Belgian beer.
- The V&D import Scheldebrouwerij Hop Ruiter earned Gold at the 2012 World Beer Championships.
- Feinberg and Littlefield were semifinalists in 2013 for the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional—the first beer importers to receive this recognition.
- V&D’s Lambrucha—a lambic-kombucha blend—was awarded Best Experimental Beer at the 2011 U.S. Open Beer Championships.
- In 2014, V&D’s Bush de Nuits (Scaldis Prestige de Nuits) was ranked among RateBeer.com’s Top 100 Beers worldwide.
Several Vanberg & DeWulf imports have won accolades at the World Beer Cup, including three silver medals, six gold medals, and one platinum medal in 2012. Their Vanberg et Famille Lambickx De Troch received a platinum medal in 2013 with an impressive score of 98.