Fruit beer: how it is brewed and why it is loved
Even those who do not often eat fruit in its natural form encounter it one way or another in other dishes. Fruit combines surprisingly with meat, complements sauces, becomes the highlight of salads - in a word, it's easy to list where they are not. And beer is not left aside - on the basis of fruits and berries are brewed many amazing varieties, affecting the taste and aroma even the most distinguished species. No, we are not talking about store-bought drinks with dubious content - real fruit beer is refined and noble, despite the deliberate sweetness of the fruit. What is its secret?
History of appearance
It is believed that the first fruit beer was brewed in ancient Egypt. But it was in Belgium that it began to be brewed on a regular basis. The appearance of the new taste was provoked by too abundant harvest - local brewers didn't know where to put the extra fruit, so they decided to add it to the beer as an experiment.
Today the fruits are mixed with many kinds of beer, but their taste is best revealed in tandem with wheat beer or ale. The finished drink is not particularly strong (from 3 to 6%), but it boasts a beautiful color - in line with the fruit that was added to it.
Popular Styles
Most often fruits and berries are mixed with lambic. This style of beer is brewed by spontaneous fermentation - the wort is left in open vats, where "wild" yeast - microorganisms that are in the air - is introduced. It is believed that the most suitable bacteria for lambic are found only in the valley of the river Senna, so this ale is considered a traditional Belgian invention. A variety of fruits are added to the finished lambic, which harmonize with the taste of the beer itself - sour and tart.
The most popular Belgian fruit beer in the lambic family is the cherry Kriek. Only Morello cherries (there may be other variations, but they are not the original beverage) grown in the vicinity of the capital, Brussels, are used to make it. The fruit and pips are added to the already fermented mixture before being filtered, and then the whole mixture is left to mature for six months until the beer has finally matured.
Cherries are also used to make rue. The only thing that makes it similar to Kriek is the berry in its composition, but in other respects the production process is fundamentally different: when making rue, cherry liqueur is added to the strong ale. The result is an original beer with a fruity taste and high strength, but at the same time it is very easy and pleasant to drink.
If you mix old and young lambic, you get Gueuze, another popular type of fruit beer. Gueuze on its own has an original, dry, sour taste, but when combined with fruit, it is even more memorable.
To taste this and other fruit-based beers, come to the beer restaurant We'll find something to surprise you!
Taste without degrees: how non-alcoholic beer is made
Non-alcoholic beer is a great alternative to the usual foam beer when drinks with degrees are prohibited. And if earlier the taste and quality of such beer left much to be desired, now it has become a self-sufficient product that can bring no less pleasure than alcoholic varieties. We tell you how non-alcoholic beer is produced and at what point it loses degrees. A bit of history The first batch of non-alcoholic beer was made in 1976 in the Czech Republic. At first it was so unpopular that manufacturers had to engage in its mass promotion. In the 1980s, beer without degrees began to be actively promoted, including talking about the harm of drunk driving. But it didn’t help much — until the end of the nineties its market share was less than 1%. Non-alcoholic beer has gained real popularity only recently — in the early 2020s. The reason is the trend towards a healthy lifestyle. People all over the world are giving up meat, practicing sports and now — preferring beer without degrees to drinks with alcohol. Secrets of production Non-alcoholic beer contains the same ingredients as regular beer. Only the production technologies differ. They are based either on reducing the degrees by eliminating the fermentation stage or on removing alcohol from the finished beer. Here are the three most popular methods: — The interrupted fermentation method - when the fermentation of the wort is stopped and then the resulting liquid is carbonated, pasteurized and filtered. This is the most common method that most producers use;— evaporation - the degrees leave the beverage under the influence of high temperature;— membrane filtration method - the finished beer is filtered, separating the alcohol from the drink. Non-alcoholic beer is the right product if you are health-conscious. In addition to the fact that it does not contain alcohol, which in large quantities negatively affects the body, it is also low in calories. In beer without degrees only 30 calories per 100 grams — against 45 or more in the usual. But be vigilant: to improve the flavor of the drink, manufacturers often add extra sugar and various chemicals. You can try tasty and high-quality non-alcoholic beer in any beer restaurant of the Lambic chain. Our menu includes hundreds of beer varieties from all corners of the world. Non-alcoholic beer section also pleases with the choice: there are varieties from Germany, Austria, Italy, Russia and even South Korea. Come and let us find a drink for your lunch or dinner that will surely give you pleasure!
19 September 2024
Gluten-free beer: what kind it is and how it differs from gluten-containing beer
Gluten intolerance affects about 1% of the world’s population. Once in the GI tract, gluten, which is found in cereal plants, causes inflammation and leads to stomach upset. Sometimes intolerance becomes a disease when the villi of the small intestine begin to break down. This disease is called celiac disease. Until a couple of decades ago, people with celiac disease had to simply exclude gluten-containing foods from their diet, making it much more sparse than for normal people. Today, the problem is almost solved: manufacturers produce gluten-free pasta, breads and pastries, and many restaurants have gluten free items. Gluten-free beer: what kind of beer is it? Since beer is brewed on the basis of malt, which is sprouted grains, it contains a significant amount of gluten. But this does not mean that those who suffer from intolerance will have to give up their favorite drink — gluten-free beer has also been invented long ago. It is divided into two groups: low gluten and gluten free. Beverages from the first group can be consumed in moderate quantities by people with gluten intolerance, and those who suffer from celiac disease are recommended only gluten free beer. A completely gluten-free beer is one that contains less than 20 milligrams of gluten per kilogram (or 20 parts per million). Secrets of production Two technologies are used to make gluten-free beer: — beer is brewed on the basis of malt from gluten-free cereals: rice, corn, buckwheat, and gluten-containing grains are removed from it completely;— gluten is removed from the finished beer with the help of a special enzyme that breaks down the protein. If only part of the protein is removed, the beer is labeled as low gluten. In the first case, the drink may have a slightly different taste than the usual foam, while in the second case, all the characteristics of beer are preserved, including taste, color and foaming. Therefore, gluten-free beer made in this way is no different from regular beer. To try delicious gluten-free beer, come to the beer restaurants of the Lambic chain. For example, we have Baladin Nazionale Gluten Free — 100% gluten-free beer originating from Italy, which has an exquisite taste and aroma. We look forward to your tasting!
19 September 2024