The first meeting is a surprise, but over time, the unique qualities bring your back again and again. Anyone who has fallen in love with a Lambic understands having to defend their choice, but any writer can tell you that showing is better than telling. Most beers are made from painstakingly selected yeasts, but in Lembeek – just outside of Brussels – things happen a little differently. Lambics are fermented in open vats, where wild yeasts can just show up and get right to work.
* Pure Lambic: Cloudy, uncarbonated, and super sour, you’ll rarely find this outside Belgium.
* Gueze: A blend of young and old Lambic that has a secondary fermentation in the bottle.
* Faro: Lambic that is sweetened with brown sugar.
* Fruit Lambic: These are what most people think of then they think of lambic. Fermented with stone fruits (cherries and peaches), tree fruits (apples and pears), citrus (lemons), and berries (lingon, blueberries, raspberries) the beer presents with a tangy fruitiness.
Serve your Lambics with food that stands up to the tartness. If you want to show off your cooking chops, serve Waterzooi – a Belgian seafood stew – or onion soup. Robust cheeses like goat can hold their own against the tartness. You can even make beef carbonade with Gueze. Salty or rich charcuterie like wild boar pate, duck rillettes, Ardennes ham, and filet de Anvers is also a good pick. Above all, never underestimate what a load of fresh bread and sweet cream butter can do. Serve fruit Lambics with desserts, rich cheeses such as brillat savarin, white fish, chicken, and salads.
Create a tasting event with a lineup of Lambics and food for your next beer gathering and watch your friends fall for its undeniable charms. You’ll have a blast and your friends will have their horizons broadened after learning to appreciate this Belgian beauty. Like us at Facebook
