An Overview of Lambic

History

Main article: A Brief History of Lambic in Belgium

The story of lambic in the Belgian culture is a complex history that dates back to the times of the Roman Empire. From conquest and conquer in ancient times, to World Wars, taxation, decline in popularity, and resurgence, lambic has continued to persevere and evolve. Today, lambic is experiencing a renaissance in Belgium, across Europe, and across the world.

The Renaissance of Geuze (Dutch)

Lambic Geography

Pajottenland

Pajottenland (sometimes Payottenland in English) is an extremely fertile agricultural region of Belgium situated in a valley to the south-west of Brussels between the rivers Senne and Dendre. This is the principal area for lambic production in the country. Only the western section of Neerpede, a small part of Brussels, is considered to be part of the Pajottenland region. Other cities located in this area, many of which are closely associated with lambic breweries, blenders, and cafés are Affligem, Asse, Bever, Dilbeek Gammerages, Gooik, Herne, Leeuw-Saint-Pierre, Lennik, Liedekerke, Pepingen, Roosdaal and Ternat. The area gets its name from the Walloon word for a soldier from the region, a Payot.

Senne/Zenne and Dendre/Dender River valley

The Senne (French) / Zenne (Dutch) valley is as closely associated with lambic production as the Pajottenland. The Senne River is a small river that runs through the heart of Brussels and was notorious for being one of the most polluted rivers in Belgium. In fact, at one point the river was covered to help alleviate the pollution and flooding problems caused within the city. Today the Senne is split in two and treated at new facilities before rejoining and continuing south. In total the river is 64 miles/103km long and flows through or near near many of the lambic producing towns in Belgium. To the west of the Senne is another shorter river known as the Dendre (French) / Dender (Dutch) River. Though not often cited in lambic lore, the Dendre River is the second river that helps to cradle the valley known as Pajottenland.

The Language of Lambic

Main article: The Language of Lambic

Speaking lambic can be as complex as the beer itself. Belgium is a country divided up into very distinct linguistic regions whose inhabitants have their own words for many of the commonly used terms associated with the lambic tradition and process. Both Dutch and French speaking brewers and blenders are in operation today leaving many curious lambic drinkers wondering how this all came to be. Readers my also find the Lambic.Info Glossary helpful before reading the main article.

Brewing Lambic

Brewing Process

Main article: Brewing Lambic

Though there are industrial-scale lambic breweries with very large production runs, the main ingredients always consist of pale two-row malt (approximately 2/3 of the bill), unmalted wheat (approximately 1/3 of the bill), aged hops, water, and microbial flora. When the wort is ready, it is transferred into the koelschip to cool and become inoculated for a twenty-four hour period and then transferred to the oak barrels where it will continue to develop until it is either blended into gueuze or used in a variety of other lambic styles. There have been significant changes in the brewing process since the 19th century, according to Guinard , including the ratio of malt to wheat, mash temperatures, and controls on the exposure of the wort before being transferred to barrels. Today, the traditional process has been mostly standardized among the traditional brewers.

Microbiology and Biochemistry

The spontaneous fermentation of lambic is a complex process in which non-cultivated yeasts and bacteria present in the environment around the wort take up residence in and are responsible for the fermentation of the beer. In contrast to the controlled fermentation found in most other modern beers, spontaneous fermentation involves many different organisms and proceeds through at least four distinct, but often overlapping, stages, each characterized by the dominance of a different set of microbes and each responsible for different aspects of the finished lambic.

Lambic Styles

• Oude Lambiek/Vieux Lambic and Jonge Lambiek/Jeune Lambic

After the wort is left in the koelschip to pick up the wild yeast it is then transferred to oak barrels to begin aging. Though much of the lambic brewed goes to the production of geuze, some is held back to age and can be released in various stages. Pure lambic can take on different names at its various ages including jonge lambiek/jeune lambic (young lambic) and oude lambiek/vieux lambic (old lambic). The younger lambic is generally less than one year old and rarely seen outside of special cask and draught tappings. Older lambic is generally considered to be older than one year old and can be found both in bottles and on draught/cask.

Though this pure lambic is not as prevalent as gueuze, breweries such as Cantillon and De Cam regularly release pure lambic in bottles at approximately 2-3 years of age. The distinguishing characteristic of pure lambic is its lack of refermentation in the bottle leading to no carbonation. In certain cases, sugars may be added to the pure lambic at bottling to produce a secondary fermentation in the bottle creating carbonation.

• Geuze/Gueuze

Geuze (Dutch) or Gueuze (French) is the result of blending a young lambic (approximately one year old) with an old lambic (approximately two to three years old, or older). The blending of gueuze is a precise practice for which each blender has their own process. The resulting blend of lambics typically ends up in either 750ml or 375ml bottles that are laid to rest in the brewery's cellar to referment in the bottle. This secondary fermentation in the bottle produces a finely carbonated drink that is traditionally served from pouring baskets. Generally gueuze is a blend of one, two, and three year old lambics, however 3 Fonteinen has released a Golden Blend that consists of a small portion of four year old lambic as well. Sometimes the resulting gueuze blends do not carbonate in the bottle resulting in "lazy" beers that can remain flat for years. See Cantillon's Loerik, 3 Fonteinen's Doesjel and Golden Doesjel and Lindemans Loerik for examples.

• Fruited lambic

Various fruits have a long history of augmenting the taste of lambic. Traditionally, fruit lambic is made my macerating whole fruit with young lambic in wooden casks. A second fermentation of the sugars from the lambic and the fruit then takes place. After maturation the lambic is typically bottled with with a small amount of young lambic or liquor to aid natural carbonation in the bottle. Some breweries such as Lindeman's and De Troch also use various fruit syrups to flavor their lambics.

Kriek (cherry), Framboise (raspberry), and Druif (grape) are all commonly used among lambic producers. Other fruits include peaches, black currants, apricots, apples, and a wide variety of more exotic fruits such as Cantillon's use of bilberries in their Blåbær Lambik and Neill and Ross's use of blackberries in Shot in the Dark.

• Faro

Historically Faro is a lower-alcohol, sweetened beer made with a blend of lambic and another freshly brewed beer (sometimes called a mars beer) in varying amounts. Faros are also known to have candy sugar, brown sugar, or cane molasses added to enhance the flavor. According to Guinard, Faro "was a blend of equal amounts of lambic and mars... and was a sweet, light table beer that had to be brewed and sold before the heat of summer to avoid fermentation accidents and spoilage." Non-lambic beers that were blended in to create the Faro were only brewed until the month of March, from which these beers derived their name. The custom of blending in mars beers into contemporary Faro has subsided and they are now a blended version of young lambic sweetened with dark candy sugar and caramel coming in around 4.5% ABV. Recent commercial examples include 3 Fonteinen's Straffe Winter and De Cam's Oude Faro De Cam.

Storage / Cellaring

Lambic is one of the few beers capable of being aged for many years. This is because the beer contains microorganisms that continue to develop at different rates changing the beer. Additionally, oxygen can work with these yeasts (such as Brettanomyces) to change the characteristics of the beers over time. Lambic is commonly sought after it has been bottled for between 0 and 15 years, though bottles dating back through the past 100+ years are still occasionally opened and reported to be drinkable. Cantillon recently started their Underground Cellar project where they are working to age lambic in controlled conditions with minimal interaction.

Lambic, like wine, is most commonly stored on it's side. This expands the surface area of the beer that is in contact with the oxygen in the bottle. It also places the beer in contact with the cork. The cork will remain moist even if the bottle is upright because of the 100% humidity in the bottle, however storing the bottle sideways may still have an effect on the ullage of a beer by keeping the cork in contact with liquid rather than air. The flip side though is that if the cork breaks down with age, direct contact between the beer and cork can lead to Trichloroanisole (TCA) "corked" flavors in the beer. Brewers continue to experiment with corks and invest in higher quality corks that should allow for better aging of lambic in the future.

Lambic also contains natural yeasts and microorganisms which can lead to considerable sediment in the bottle while it ages. Fruits can further contribute to the sediment in a bottle. By storing the beer on it's side, the yeasts will settle along the side of the bottle. When a basket is used for serving, the bottle is kept on it's side, allowing the yeast to stay in this state and reducing what sediment gets poured into the glass.

Side storing lambic is not a steadfast rule, however. Many Boon beers specifically state on the label to store them upright. No long-term controlled studies have been done to prove the benefits of upright vs horizontal aging of Lambic.

Serving Lambic

Main article: Serving Lambic
Lambic has traditionally been served in a number of ways, including directly from wooden casks, in bottles, and through modern day draught systems. The various methods of serving lambic can often coincide with the equipment and vessels used to serve the beer, and many of the traditions and methods employed to serve lambic today have remained relatively unchanged since the 19th century.

Sweetened Lambic

Main article: Sweetened Lambic

No beer style has a greater dichotomy than lambic. For many, it is an entry level beer, marketed as easy drinking, sweet, and a great transition for people who generally do not like the taste of beer. On the other side is a complex beverage: an acquired taste that is considered to be one of most evolved and sought after tastes among beer aficionados. Exploring both varieties provides a more comprehensive understanding of the history of lambic beers in Belgium.

Culture vs. Chemistry

Main article: Culture vs. Chemistry
As lambic grows in popularity, more breweries, both in Belgium and throughout the rest of the world, continue to use the name to describe their products. Through HORAL and the independent efforts of many brewers and blenders, the lambic producers in the Pajottenland have sought to protect their traditional products, history, and culture. There are four main areas that impact this discussion:

• Terroir - Are the microorganisms of the payottenland unique?
• Process - Is the brewing process of lambic unique?
• Regulation - What laws, decrees, and other protections are in place to protect lambic?
• Culture - How does the history and culture of lambic play into the discussion?

This is a complex topic with no clear cut right or wrong answers. This article attempts to break down these issues and explore at the facts surrounding this unique product.