One good reason why you should drink Lambics, one of the wildest and fabulous beers in Belgium? They are distinctively unique from the other beers and gives the most enjoyable drinking experience. But what is Lambic beer? It is a sour wheat beer style made from Brussels. We would also describe it as the most exciting yet complex drink to ever exist.
If we were to recommend the funkiest and the most refreshing beer that has been surviving for centuries with the same quality, it would be a Lambic beer. The taste of it alone will make you all thirsty again. Besides, you cannot believe that this brew is almost a millennium old. Would you like to find out why it deserves to be in your beer rotation? Read ahead!
Where did Lambic beer originate from?
Since Lambic was founded in Belgium in the 12th century, it has gone a series of developments. But it was during 1559 when this beer started its first milestone. That was when the brewers used a proportionate ratio of barley to wheat to prepare the drink. That time, you could not get enough of its rich flavor and aroma.
With time, brewers started adopting a modernized way of fermenting Lambic. During the 19th century, Iambic’s developers started with a unique flora plant that provided natural yeast. Up to today, Lambic shares its hallmark taste from this flora plant.
As the progress was being made with Lambic, it was blended with other beers and added flavors. That oversaw the development of its brands, wherein 1897; gueuze Lambic was founded. Later, in 18 century, the kriek and Framboise brands were developed.
What are the Ingredients of Lambic?
Have you taken a beer and wondered what ingredients prepared it? If you have ever tasted Lambic, you would undoubtedly want to know and ‘thank’ the elements that made this drink so fruity, malty, and luxurious.
It is made of wheat malt that makes you experience a smooth and velvety taste. Lambic also contains hops to deliver a natural bitterness and tart aftertaste. Still, you cannot get enough of Lambic cidery taste brought by the orange peel, priming sugar, pilsner mat cheeriest, and raspberries. We further appreciate the natural blend of yeast and bacteria in Lambic.
Which are different Kinds of Lambic beer?
Since there are many Lambics out there, we’ve categorized them for you. Having this in mind, you’ll be able to choose one that favors you the most. Here they’re:
- Kriek Lambic– It would help if you had a drink with acidic and citric content made of cherries like Kriek Lambic that make your inebriation mood lively and electrifying.
- Framboise– if you are a lady, this is your brand. Even for that gentleman in a lady’s company, you can choose Framboise served with a champagne-like bottle. Even its pinkish girlish color says it all. Not forgetting, the drink is made of raspberry that is cidery with an alluring aroma.
- Gueuze: experience an aged hops Lambic brand with a fruity and floral taste that optimizes the beverage’s bitter mouthfeel. Guise utilizes a double fermentation of both old and young batches. Your throat will hence be revitalized by the acidic and citric aftertaste of your drink. The double fermentation will also bring creamy and caramel taste.
How to Make a Lambic Beer
You cannot rely much on the ready-made Lambic; even the Lambic creators have provided a homebrew Lambic recipe. We can testify that those who have made it, enjoy its simplicity making and cost-effectiveness. A perfect homebrew distillate makes you enjoy a close to original Lambic. Here’s how to create a Lambic for yourself at home.
- Ensure that you have all ingredients for making this model beer. You need six pounds of wheat flour, 4 lbs. of pilsner malt, five ounces of orange peel, at least 25 ounces of hops, priming sugar, and a syrup of cranberry juice.
- Using water, mix the grist or the refined mixture of barley and wheat grains for thirty minutes. You can even consult an expert brewer to ensure that the combination features 40% unmalted wheat and 60% barley. Then subject the mixture to a temperature of about 124 degrees Fahrenheit
- At this stage, your solution becomes a beer wort. Still, continue increasing the temperature to about 170 degrees and stir the wort to mix it thoroughly.
- Start adding hops as prescribed by an expert brewer. Remember that hops are bitter, and you can spoil the brew if you add much bitterness to the wort.
- To ensure that the hops concentration is not much, filter the solution. You can do this with a hop bag. Therefore, transfer the solution to another jar covered with a steel mesh hope bag.
- You should have a glass carboys that will be used in the fermenting stage. In that case, transfer the solution to this device.
- Add a yeast agent to the solution. In this case, we would recommend the Wyeast liquid beer yeast that is famous for homebrewers in Belgium. This yeast closely resembles the wild Lambic fermentation agent and gives your distillate a floral and fruity palate.
If you cannot afford the yeast agent, do not worry because you only need sunlight and air. Leave the solution open for molecular bacteria and yeast to catalyze the fermentation process of the product. However, if you are in Belgium, you should conduct this practice during May and November because, at other times, the climate is not favorable for these catalyst microbes.
- Seal the barrel or jar correctly to ensure no room for air. After fermenting the product for eight to twelve weeks, it should be ready for you to taste and test its quality.
What Does Lambic Taste Like?
If you have ever tasted the fish sauce, you experienced a palate that is no different to Lambic flavor. Even if you have never tasted the sauce, do not worry because you will discover the exact taste of Lambic.
First and foremost, Lambic is famous for its mouthwatering flavor and a bitter after-feel. Hardly will you find other beers that exhibit a dry, sugary, or vinous mouthfeel like Lambic. When you take it, the drink’s sweetness will neutralize well with the citric tart and a bitter aftertaste.
Therefore, all your senses will entirely focus on the Lambic relishing flavor that even if your eyes turn watery, you keep asking for more. Not to mention the Lambic’s rich aroma where your nose can’t miss its floral and fruity fragrance. Even the Iambic’s fizzy popping makes your drinking experience enjoyable.
Best Food Pairings for a Lambic
Being a sour drink, Lambic would pair very well with any food featuring meat and fruits. We tried several foods with a Lambic beer, but here are our favorites:
Currant chicken with Lambic
Are you a lover of poultry meat? Did you know that you can top the currant chicken with Lambic sauce? You do not need a spice because a Lambic supplement will add more flavor to your dish. Even its reeling bitter taste will complement the fatty taste of the chicken. You can add pepper or ginger to enjoy the meal further.
Mussels
You will love how the Lambic’s acidity and citric of Lambic complement with the sweet mussels. All you have to do is to steam the Lambic with mussels and garlic for about four minutes. After boiling, you can serve the cooking with bread.
Egg Benedict
The apple-like taste of the Lambic pairs well with the egg benedict and you should try it. Since the egg benedict has eggs, butter, and vinegar, the acidic and citric Lambic flavor combines with butter to form a creamy taste.
Belgian Waffles
The Kriek and Framboise brand has cherry and raspberry that works well with the Brussels waffles. You can’t get enough of the added vanilla taste of the food and the strawberries. Imagine those all sugars in your mouth then a Lambic’s bitter and sour after-feel neutralizes them all. That is a lavishing combination.
Apple salad, with Fennel.
The tart taste of Lambic matches well with the citric and sour taste of the apple salad. You will surely love how the Lambic fizzing bubbles out on this dish.
Would you like to know more foods to pair with a Lambic? Here are additional foods.
Conclusion
This caramel beer should be your next recipe if you plan for any get together with your friends. The food it pairs, which we have listed above, are just a sample of a hundred of them. Otherwise, you can try Lambic with your favorite meal and see the difference.
You can also learn how to make your next Lambic brew at home. However, always consult an expert brewer before you make your beer to get efficient results. Furthermore, if you are unsure which brand to take, try each of them and tell the difference.
If you’ve never tasted a sour beer, we would love to hear what you think in the comments section below. For those who already have a sour beer in their rotation, what is your favorite food pairing?
