Lambic

Lore & Background

The beverage is first mentioned in 1794 as allambique; the initial 'a' was dropped early on, so that in an 1811 advertisement it was called lambicq, though it was sometimes referred to as alambic as late as 1829. The name may stem from alembic, a type of still used for producing local spirits such as cognac and jenever (but not used in the production of lambic). Breweries in and around Lembeek, a village near Halle, Belgium, have attempted to associate lambic with that name, including through the legend of local saint Veronus of Lembeek.

Lambic is generally brewed from a grist containing about 60–70% barley malt and 30–40% unmalted wheat. The wort is cooled overnight in a shallow, flat, metal pan called a coolship, where it is left exposed to the open air so more than 120 different types of microorganisms may inoculate the wort. This cooling process requires night-time temperatures between -8 and 8 C. While this cooling method of open-air exposure is a critical feature of the style, the key yeasts and bacteria that perform the fermentation reside within the breweries' timber fermenting vessels. Over 80 microorganisms have been identified in lambic beer, the most significant being Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces pastorianus, and Brettanomyces bruxellensis. The process is generally only possible between October and May as in the summer, too many unfavourable organisms that are in the air could spoil the beer. In Brussels dialect, lambic produced after this traditional brewing season is referred to as bezomerd, meaning that it has had 'too much summer'. Climate change is further shortening this limited brewing window; in the early 1900s, lambic brewers enjoyed roughly 165 days a year in the ideal temperature range, whereas by 2018, that number has shrunk to 140.

Since at least the 11th century, and probably earlier, hops have been used in beer for their natural preservative qualities and for the pleasant bitterness, flavour, and aroma they impart. Since the method of inoculation and long fermentation time of lambic beers increases the risk of spoilage, lambic brewers use large amounts of hops for their antibacterial properties. Lambic in the early 19th century was a highly hopped beer, using 8–9 g/L of the locally grown 'Aalst' or 'Poperinge' varieties. Modern lambic brewers, however, try to avoid making the beer extremely hop-forward and use aged, dry hops, which have lost much of their bitterness, aroma, and flavour. Consequently, lambics often have a strong, cheese-like, 'old hop' aroma, in contrast to the resiny, herbal, earthy hop bitterness found in other styles. The favourite hop used for lambic in the nineteenth century was a variety called Coigneau which was cultivated in the Aalst-Asse area in Belgium.

Reader's Guide

Lambic is notable for its unique fermentation method using wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Zenne valley, which gives it a dry, vinous, and cidery flavour often with a tart aftertaste. The brewing process relies on open-air cooling in a coolship and a limited brewing season from October to May, with climate change reducing the number of suitable days. Lambic is usually a blend of at least two different beers; many producers are blenders who buy beer from other brewers and blend them together to create the desired result. Types of lambic beer include gueuze, kriek lambic, and framboise. Gueuze is a mixture of young and old lambics that undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. Kriek is lambic refermented with sour cherries. Faro is a sweetened lambic historically made with brown sugar. Unblended lambic is a cloudy, uncarbonated, bracingly sour beverage rarely available on tap. Lambic beers are only produced near Brussels due to that region's natural microflora. The number of producers, which numbered more than 300 in 1900, shrank drastically throughout the 20th century. Lambic production is generally sanctioned and promoted by HORAL.