Gueuze

What is Gueuze?

Gueuze, or geuze, in Flemish spelling, is a blend of young and old lambics. Common blends include one-, two-, and three-year-old lambics, with the proportions depending on the brewer’s preference. The blend is bottled, and since young lambic contains residual sugars, secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle.

Gueuze shares the sour and dry characteristics of lambic beer but has a more complex flavour and aroma, often featuring notes of apple and rhubarb. Traditional gueuze has a very low sugar content. Gueuzes can therefore seem the most wine-like of beers.

To bottle gueuze, strong champagne-style bottles, corks, and wire cages are used to withstand natural carbonation. Because of their effervescence, gueuzes are sometimes called "the champagne of Brussels". 

Before being released for sale, the beer matures in the bottle for at least three to nine months (including at least one summer) to achieve the desired flavour profile. Gueuze ages exceptionally well: many bottles are aged for two to five years before being consumed.

Origin Story

Gueuze likely originated in the 19th century. There are several legends surrounding its origin and name. According to one, a lambic brewer on Rue de Gueuze in Brussels wanted to supply beer to his customers but had run out of barrels. As a solution, he poured his beer into empty champagne bottles.

According to other sources, gueuze derives from the word "geysa" or "geyser", possibly referring to the beer’s turbulent fermentation and potential effervescence upon opening.

Originally, gueuze was bottled in both casks and bottles, but later it became exclusively bottled.

After World War I, when beer production in Belgium had ceased for a while and lambics of varying maturity were not readily available, some producers started adding sugar to gueuze. This resulted in sweeter and more carbonated gueuzes. 

The phrase "oude gueuze" or "old gueuze" emerged to denote beers crafted in the traditional method, incorporating lambics of different ages without any additional ingredients. Oude gueuze experienced a resurgence in popularity in the early 2000s.