Lambic

From Beeripedia the Beer Wiki

1 Lambic
2 Types of Lambic
3 Origins
4 Belgian lambic breweries

Lambic

Lambic is a very distinctive style of beer brewed only in the Payottenland region of Belgium (southwest of Brussels). Similar beers produced outside of this area are usually known as "Lambic-style" or "Plambic" (short for "pseudo-lambic"), although this is purely a voluntary distinction made out of respect to the original.

Unlike conventional ales and lagers, which are fermented by carefully cultivated strains of brewer's yeasts, Lambic beer is instead produced by spontaneous fermentation: it is exposed to the wild yeasts and bacteria that are native to the Senne valley, in which Brussels lies. It is this unusual process which gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour aftertaste.

The origins of Lambic beer lie in the working classes of the region some 500 years ago who appreciated a weak, quenching drink that could be produced cheaply and easily on the farm. Since then, of course, the style has diversified to a wide range of styles, strengths, and social classes.

Today the beer is generally brewed from a grist containing approximately 70% barley malt and 30% unmalted wheat. When the wort has cooled, it is left exposed to the open air so that fermentation may occur spontaneously. Whilst this exposure is a critical feature of the style, many of the key yeasts and bacteria are now understood to reside within the brewery and its (usually timber) fermenting vessels in numbers far greater than any delivered by the breeze. Up to 86 microorganisms have been identified in Lambic beer, the most significant ones being Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus. The process is generally only possible between October and May as in the summer months there are too many unfavourable organisms in the air that could spoil the beer.

Since at least the 11th century and probably earlier, hops have been used in beer for their natural preservative qualities as well as for the pleasant bitterness, flavour, and aroma they impart. Today they still provide bitterness, flavor, and aroma in almost all beer styles except Lambic. Since the method of innoculation and long fermentation time of Lambic beers increases the risk of spoilage, Lambic brewers still use large amounts of hops for their antibacterial properties. In order to avoid making the beer extremely bitter, however, aged, dry hops (which have lost much of their bitterness) are used. Consequently, Lambics often have a strong, cheese-like, "old hop" aroma, in contrast to the resiny, herbal, earthy hop bitterness found in other styles.

After the fermentation process starts, the lambic is siphoned into old oak or chestnut barrels from the Porto region of Portugal or the Jerez region of Spain. Some of the brewers prefer used wine barrels. The lambic is left to ferment and mature for one to two or even three years. It forms a flor of yeast that gives some protection from oxidisation, in a similar way to vin jaune and sherry; the barrels are not topped up.

Another important feature of Lambic is that it is usually a blend of at least two different beers; many 'producers' are in fact blenders who buy beers from other brewers, and blend two or more together to create the desired result. A good gueuze, for example, may have occupied space in several different cellars over 6 years or more. Despite this complex production, the locals are justifiably proud of their unique beer, and recent years has seen an explosion of interest around the world for this unusual beverage. Whilst those outside of the area are most likely to find the bottled gueuze and fruit versions, there are a wide variety of styles available to the local drinker, and they are often blended again or sweetened with sugar or flavoured syrups before drinking, as some examples can be extremely tart.

Lambic beer is widely consumed in Brussels and environs, and frequently features as an ingredient in Belgian cuisine.

Types of Lambic

Lambic (pure)

   Unblended lambic is a cloudy, uncarbonated, bracingly sour beverage available on tap in only a few locations. Generally three years old. A bottled version named Cantillon Grand Cru can be found outside of Belgium.

Gueuze lambic

   A mixture of young (one-year) and old (two and three-year) lambics which has been bottled. It undergoes secondary fermentation (the so-called méthode champenoise), producing carbon dioxide, because the young lambics are not yet fully fermented. It keeps in the bottle; a good gueuze will be given a year to referment in the bottle, but can be kept for 10-20 years. An obscure German ale style, Gose, is not to be confused with gueuze.

Faro

   A low-alcohol, slightly sweet table beer made from lambic to which "candi" sugar (crystalised and in some cases caramelised cane or beet sugar) has been added. It is an unblended three-year-old lambic and is usually sold on draught, not bottled.

Fruit

   Lambic with the addition of sour cherry (kriek), raspberry (framboise), peach (pêche), blackcurrant (cassis), grape (druif), or strawberry (aardbei), as either whole fruit or syrup. Other, rarer fruit lambic flavorings include apple, banana, pineapple, apricot, plum, and lemon. Fruit lambics are usually bottled with secondary fermentation. Although fruit lambics are among the most famous Belgian fruit beers, the use of names such as kriek, framboise or frambozen, cassis, etc. does not necessarily imply that the beer is made from lambic. The fruit beers produced by the Liefmans brewery, for example, actually use a sour brown ale rather than a lambic as a base.

Origins

This is a theory regarding the origins of the names gueuze and lambic as put forth by Hubert van Herreweghen (Flemish-Belgian author and gueuze connoisseur), translated by Horst Dornbusch:

"It was also during the Spanish occupation of Brabant that -- at least according to one rather fanciful theory -- the two Belgian signature brews of gueuze and lambic got their names. According to this tale, the well-provisioned Spanish soldiers used to march into battle with partitioned leather flask dangling from their belts. One half of such a flask was filled with water, the other, with wine. Because of its dual function, the flask was called el ambiguo (Spanish for "double meaning"). The poor local gueux, on the other hand, (gueux is French for "beggars" or "good-for-nothings"), who opposed the worldly Spaniards, merely carried a flask of indigenous sour beer on their marches. The Spanish apparently derided the unpartitioned and thus obviously inferior drinking vessel of the bedraggled locals as a ... gueuze el ambiguo or a gueuze-lambic."

Belgian lambic breweries

   * Belle Vue owned by InBev (Sweetened - except Sélection Lambic)
   * Boon (Traditional)
   * Brasserie Cantillon (Traditional)
   * De Keersmaeker owned by Scottish & Newcastle, better known by its brand name Mort Subite (Sweetened - except Gueuze Fond)
   * De Troch who also produce the Chapeau lambics (Sweetened)
   * 3 Fonteinen (Traditional)
   * Girardin (Traditional)
   * Lindemans Brewery (Sweetened - except Cuvé Renée)
   * Oud Beersel (recently reopened), now brewed by Frank Boon (Traditional)
   * Timmermans (Sweetened - except "Traditional" line)