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!
Coffee and beer - a match or a flop? Exploring the myths about the famous combination
Coffee and beer are drunk at different times and on different occasions, but they have much more in common than meets the eye. Beverages that were considered ordinary 10 years ago have now become gourmet products: craft beer and specialty coffee have won millions of fans. But what if you mix the two? Let’s find out how justified this combination is and what myths are associated with it. How did the combination of coffee and beer appear? Experiments with coffee and beer began in the middle of the XX century, when brewers and bartenders began to look for new flavors. But the real boom happened in the nineties and noughties due to the growing popularity of craft beer. The first successful variants were coffee stouts and porters — dark brews with deep flavors that perfectly complemented the coffee notes. Brewers added coffee at various stages: — during brewing — for a rich flavor;— during fermentation — for softness;— into the finished beer — as a cold coffee infusion. A good example of such a recipe is the Japanese beer Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout, which can be tasted in Lambic beer restaurants. It’s a flavorful, dense ale brewed in the style of American imperial stouts with coffee beans added for espresso. Bartenders, too, have contributed to popularizing this unusual combination, creating original cocktails from coffee and beer. The most popular is the Black & Tan, which includes stout, lager and espresso. Today, such mixes are part of the craft culture. Is it true that coffee helps sober you up? One of the main myths is that coffee supposedly neutralizes alcohol. In fact, caffeine only masks intoxication. It creates the illusion of liveliness, but coffee does not actually lower blood alcohol levels. In addition, a cocktail of coffee and beer can increase the strain on the heart. If you drink coffee before alcohol, it will temporarily increase the activity of liver enzymes that break down ethanol. But this does not mean that it is necessary to increase the dose. Coffee with beer: harm or benefit? In moderate quantities, low-alcohol coffee beers (for example, stouts with 4-6% strength) are relatively safe. If you want to try such a mix, choose drinks from quality ingredients. For example: — Dark beer (porter, stout) and cold espresso.— Lager or ale and light coffee syrup. There are contraindications for such cocktails. Mixing coffee with beer is not recommended for people with hypertension, heart and GI diseases, as well as those who use drugs incompatible with caffeine. The combination of coffee and beer is an interesting gastronomic experience, especially if you respect the measure. Come to Lambic — we will treat you to interesting drinks without harming your health!
20 May 2025
Bitter! Let's understand what IBU is and how bitterness affects the taste of beer
If you’ve scrutinized craft beer labels, you’ve definitely seen the mysterious IBU abbreviation on them. This indicator plays a key role in shaping the flavor of the beverage. Let’s find out what it means and why bitterness is one of the main criteria for evaluating beer. What is IBU? IBU (International Bitterness Unit) is an international indicator of beer bitterness. It indicates the concentration of isohumulone, an alpha acid found in hops, which gives the drink its characteristic bitterness. The higher the IBU, the more bitter the beer will be. However, the perception of bitterness depends not only on this indicator, but also on the balance with malt sweetness, strength and aromatic additives. Why do you need the IBU index? Before the advent of industrial brewing, a beverage could be either too sweet or, conversely, too sour or bitter. To achieve a harmonious flavor, brewers began to adjust bitterness with hops. In the past, herbs (thistle, mint, juniper) were used to soften sweetness, but today the main source of bitterness is hops. It is added at different stages of brewing to: — compensate for the sweetness of the malt;— add complexity and flavor to the beer;— increase shelf life (isohumulone has antibacterial properties). The first to calculate the bitterness of beer were the people of Great Britain, using the formula «pounds of hops per quart of malt». The modern IBU standard was developed to accurately categorize beers. How to calculate IBU? The bitterness index is determined using a mathematical formula: G = D × E D = (A × B) / (C × 0.1) Where: A — mass of hops (in grams); B — alpha acid content of hops (%); C — wort volume (in liters); E — loss factor (production time and beer density are affected); G — final IBU. The longer the hops are brewed, the more alpha acids pass into the wort, increasing bitterness. IBU scale: from lager to IPA Beer bitterness is measured on a scale of 0 to 120+ IBUs, but most beers are in the 5-90 range. Beer Style IBU Level Characteristics Pale Lagers 8–15 Light, smooth, minimal bitterness Wheat Ales 10–20 Fruity notes, low bitterness Porters/Stouts 30–50 Coffee, chocolate tones, moderate bitterness American IPA 50–80 Strong hop bitterness, citrus and pine notes Imperial IPA 80–120+ Extreme bitterness, high alcohol content Why is IBU not the main selection criterion? A high IBU does not always mean that the beer will seem too bitter. For example, sweet stouts (30-50 IBU) seem less bitter than IPAs due to caramel and chocolate notes. And light lagers (8-15 IBU) may be perceived as more bitter due to a lack of malt balance. How do you choose a beer based on bitterness level? If you don’t like bitterness — choose lagers, wheat ales, Belgian trippels (up to 30 IBU). If you like balance, try porters or amber ales (30-50 IBU). If you like a rich hop bitterness, an IPA or Imperial Stout (50+ IBU) is ideal. You can try any of these varieties in Lambic beer restaurants. Come — we will find something to surprise you!
20 May 2025