Lambic

What is Lambic?

Lambic is a Belgian sour wheat beer brewed with spontaneous fermentation. The wort is exposed to wild yeast strains present in the air and on surfaces, initiating spontaneous fermentation.

Lambic is brewed in the Senne River Valley in Belgium: in the Pajottenland region and in and around Brussels. It is made with malted barley and approximately 30-40% unmalted wheat.

The wort undergoes a lengthy fermentation process. The first stage (lasting 3-6 months) produces mainly alcohol, while in the second stage (lasting 12-24 months), various acids develop. Fermentation usually occurs in the brewery’s attic, allowing the necessary yeast strains to be carried in by the wind through the windows. Extended fermentation gives lambic its sour and dry taste, with a dry aroma reminiscent of wine and cider.

Lambics use aged and dried hops, imparting less bitterness to the beer than fresh hops.

Lambic has several sub-styles: lambiek (straight from the storage cask), gueuze, faro, and fruit lambic (such as kriek, framboise, and pêche).

Origin Story

Wild yeast has always been present in the air, and thanks to spontaneous fermentation, the first beers in history were born. Though it sounds like lambic is an extremely primitive and historical beer, in reality, it’s clear that by the time lambic was created, brewers knew very well how to add yeast to the wort to better control fermentation. Furthermore, in the past, beer was consumed fresh rather than left to mature in barrels for long periods as it tended to spoil quickly.

Therefore, the use of spontaneous fermentation and the extremely long ageing process were innovative methods at the time.

Beer historians still debate the timeline and the origin of the name of the lambic beer style. Some associate lambic with a wheat beer recipe from 1559. Others think lambic originated in the 18th century when it was first mentioned in writing under the name "allambique" (1794). The initial letter was abandoned quite quickly, and by 1811, it was already advertised as "lambicq".

Initially, it was yellow in colour and was a very strong and expensive beer for its time. Its recipe used equal parts malted barley and unmalted wheat, employed spontaneous fermentation, and could mature in barrels for up to a couple of years.

The beer became popular, and in the 19th century, all of Brussels drank lambic and its little sister, faro. Similar beer was also produced in the Netherlands. However, after World War I, the Belgian brewing industry faced difficulties; there was a shortage of resources and raw materials, and many factories remained shut. Since the production of lambic was costly, it was no longer a suitable mainstream beer. However, a niche beer called gueuze, a blend of lambics, emerged and was bottled in champagne bottles and marketed to wealthier consumers.

In the latter half of the 20th century, lambic was on the verge of extinction until a tour guide from the town of Halle, Marcel Franssens, decided to start promoting it. It was Franssens who crafted the legend that lambic was an ancient brew crafted in the same manner for more than 500 years. Although his story has since been questioned, he managed to draw enough attention to lambic to save it from oblivion.

Recently, several craft breweries in the USA have attempted to replicate Belgian lambic beers but have not been very successful because of the absence of a comparable microflora elsewhere.