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One of the most common debates surrounding Lambic lambic today is whether or not Lambic lambic can be produced outside of the PayottenlandPajottenland. This is not a simple question as there is no clear right or wrong answer. This write-up attempts to document the information regarding this issue. Minimally, there are four areas that impact this topic: terroir, process, regulations, and culture.

Is it possible to create a finished product, outside of the Payottenland Pajottenland or the country of Belgium, which is biochemically indistinguishable from traditional Lambiclambic?

Through the late 1800s, people assumed that the right combination of wild yeasts for Lambic lambic only existed in the PayottenlandPajottenland. Technically, in 1904, Danish brewing scientist Niels Kjelte Claussen discovered the first brettanomyces in an English beer. He presented his findings to the British Beer & Pub Association and later published them in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing. Because he found these yeasts in British beers, he chose the name “brittanomyces” (the Greek word for “British fungus”). However, a typesetter’s error changed this to “brettanomyces,” with an ''e''. <ref name=“GeuzeKriek”>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref>

In spite of brettanomyces existing worldwide, it is still reasonable to assume that the combination and ratio of brettanomyces and other individual microorganisms within the Payottenland Pajottenland are unique to the local terrior. For example, in 1993, Frank Boon was said to have discovered 86 unique strains that he believed played a significant role in the fermentation at [[Brouwerij_Boon|Boon]]. <ref name=Lambic.digest-9312>Lambic Digest, December 2, 1993, https://192.185.42.233/Lambic_digest/1993/9312.txt</ref>.

While the yeast may not be tied to the PayottenlandPajottenland, the term lambic is. Lambic is traditionally a beer that has been spontaneously fermented in the PayottenlandPajottenland. As [[An Overview of Lambic#History|history]] shows, this term and its regional use goes back hundreds of years. Other regions continue to develop terms, largely based on Lambiclambic, to identify the spontaneous fermentation that occurs in their local terroir (Sonambic at Russian River in California, Colorambic at AC Golden in Colorado). These naming designations help define the regional geography, culture, and experimentation occurring in their area. Belgian breweries and other breweries around the world do not always follow this designation however. For example:* Belgian breweries outside of the Payottenland Pajottenland spontaneously ferment a small portion of their beer within the Payottenland Pajottenland and the remainder from another region. Given some of the legal definitions created later in this article, this does make the beer technically Lambiclambic, however it does not meet the cultural intent. * Many international breweries are naming beers Lambic lambic by either using an artificially pitched small subset of the overall microorganisms found in the PayottenlandPajottenland, or by doing their own regional spontaneous fermentation but failing to designate it in a unique way.

Finally, it is important to acknowledge that while in today’s day and age, it is possible for brewers, with more developed scientific techniques, to replicate the ratios and quantities of the various strains of Brettanomyces and other microorganisms outside of the PayottenlandPajottenland. However, this would require significant study to replicate those regional microorganisms that affect the beer throughout the process, as opposed to just those that are present in the bottle in the later phases of fermentation. It would require discipline and a strong traditional focus without significant deviation or experimentation. And if these organisms were produced under laboratory-controlled conditions rather than spontaneously obtained, is it really lambic?

Lambic is much more than the yeasts themselves. The [[Brewing Lambic|brewing process]] for Lambic lambic was regionally developed over hundreds of years and is specifically focused on creating the appropriate enzymes and nutrients for the wild yeasts to thrive and evolve the beer over multiple years. No other beer in the world is produced using a similar process.

*A limited brewing season controlled by seasonal temperatures to limit mold growth, acedic acetic characteristics, and microorganisms that thrive in higher temperatures but negatively impact the beer

*A blending process involving multiple barrels of Lambiclambic, often from multiple years, to create a complex product capable of extended maturation.

This process is as much a tradition as a recipe. It is passed down from generation to generation as can be seen throughout the brewery histories described throughout this site. Lambic brewing requires patience and structure, and does not lend itself to experimentation (at least during the brewing process…many Lambic lambic brewers and blenders experiment during blending).

The entire process is needed to make Lambic lambic that can age gracefully and continue to develop as the microorganisms work through their various phases. It is certainly possible that spontaneously fermented beers following these processes can be produced anywhere, capturing the yeasts that are local to that geography. Jeff Sparrow reminisces in [[Books#Wild_Brews:_Culture_and_Craftsmanship_in_the_Belgian_Tradition|''Wild Brews: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition'']] of a conversation that he had with Jean-Pierre Van Roy:

:: ''“But don’t despair; believe it or not, you can spontaneously ferment beer anywhere in the world. Jean-Pierre Van Roy of the Cantillon brewery in Brussels told me so on my first visit. I just didn’t know what to make of the statement at the time. Since then, Van Roy’s revelation has become a great deal clearer. Van Roy told me you must develop a taste for your own local Lambiclambic, although he never had to taste one result of his suggestion.”''<ref name=“WildBrews”>Jeff Sparrow, [[Books#Wild Brews: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition|Wild Brews: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition]], 2005</ref>

Despite the recent rise in the use of coolships koelschips and spontaneous fermentation outside of Belgium, there is still significant variation in the processes and techniques used to produce a wide variety of new wild beers in other regions. These spontaneously fermented wild ales may have been brewed at a different time of the year, they may or may not have been brewed with a process designed to create nutrients for long-term yeast interaction, or they may have significant variations to the brewing process and techniques that yield a different outcome. Each brewing decision, along with the regional terroir and microflora, help define that regional wild ale.

Finally, it is important to acknowledge that confusion and inconsistency over the brewing process of beers called Lambic lambic exists within Belgium as well. Many Belgian brewers are creating a product with only minimal Lambic lambic (there is no limit to how little Lambic lambic must be in a beer in Belgium to be called Lambiclambic) and blending in other beer, juices, or adjuncts.

* The first attempts to protect Lambic lambic dates back to 1930. <ref name=TFP>Teresa de Noronha Vaz, [http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Production-Sustainable-Development-Geography/dp/0754674622/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410234809&sr=1-1 Traditional Food Production and Rural Sustainable Development (Ashgate Economic Geography Series)], 1998</ref>

* In 1993, a new royal decree was put in place. This decree specified that spontaneous fermentation must be part of the process and that wheat must be 30% of the grain bill. However, it did not specify how much of the beer needed to be Lambic lambic in order to carry the Lambic lambic name or specify any regional protections.* In 1997, five Lambic lambic related products were protected by being granted Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (“TSG”) status. Within Europe, TSG protects the brewing style, however it again does not tie the beer specifically to a region. * Since 2004, brewers of Lambic lambic can also apply for a regional label indicating that it is regional and traditional. <ref name=streekproduct>http://www.streekproduct.be</ref>

These laws, while an honest attempt to protect Lambiclambic, did not accomplish the intended goal. Because there were so many competing interests, even among the traditional lambic producers, these resulting laws and decrees had many gaps. First, there was no regional protection. Second, there was no definition surrounding the term Lambic lambic regarding issues like how much of a beer must be spontaneously fermented, or if artificial sweeteners or syrups could be used, or other issues.

One of the most unique aspects of Lambic lambic in Belgium is its [[An Overview of Lambic#History|history]] and culture. It makes sense that the regional brewers have strived striven to protect this. At the same time, given the success of Lambiclambic, it is also not surprising that many breweries, both in Belgium and the rest of the world, have sought to capitalize on the name.

From a cultural perspective, can Lambic lambic be replicated? Lambic represents :

* A culture where café blenders would buy wort and create their own Lambiclambic* An annual pilgrimage of beer geeks worldwide who journey to Belgium to experience Lambiclambic

There is no other beer like this in the world, where every characteristic of the brewing, blending, aging and serving process is completely unique. While the Lambic lambic style is regularly imitated, minimized, and commercialized, there is nothing outside of Lambic lambic brewed traditionally in the Payottenland Pajottenland that can truly capture what Lambic lambic represents.

Brewers are ingenious. They have and will continue to brew wild ales in other regions, either through the use of that region’s local terroir or through chemistry and microbiology. They will follow many of the steps described above that are unique to Lambiclambic. And beyond that, they will experiment and make their own beers, changing the process to create their own unique beverages. Experimentation is good and should be encouraged. We do hope however, that brewers truly attempting to create a Belgian style Lambic lambic respect this amazing style, create a product that can stand the test of time, and strive to brew a complex beer that is much more than just “sour” or “funky”. We hope that they respect the regional history of the Belgian Lambic lambic itself, and instead make their own wild ales, indigenous to their own region, brewery and history.

Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to know what they are drinking, to understand the ingredients and the brewing process. The name ambic lambic will continue to be capitalized on and exploited; there will continue to be non-traditional beers released that incorrectly use this name. There will be people who argue with the point of view presented here or try to shape the argument in their favor for capitalistic gain.