Instead of sparkling: how to choose beer for the New Year's table
Pouring champagne at the chimes is certainly a tradition, but if sparkling wines are not your story, you can find a worthy alternative. Good beer will look just as festive in glasses, and with the right choice — will also make a harmonious pair with your favorite dishes. We tell you how to choose beer for the New Year’s table to make the holiday a real success.
Olivier
This salad is a must in any house, even if there are exquisite appetizers around. All families prepare Olivier in different ways — for example, add chicken instead of sausage or green apple. But one thing remains the same — mayonnaise, which gives the salad a recognizable taste and texture.
It is no coincidence that Olivier is drunk with champagne — the acidity of sparkling wine balances the aftertaste of mayonnaise. Therefore, the main salad of the New Year’s table should be chosen from the same considerations. Beer varieties with soft malt notes — lagers, wheat varieties with a pronounced «bread» flavor — are best suited. On the contrary, strongly hopped beer is not suitable for olivier — its bitterness will only intensify the oily flavor.
Herring under a fur coat
Another famous New Year’s salad, which seems to have always been with us, but in fact appeared on the tables of the inhabitants of the USSR only in the sixties. Its emergence and further popularity is connected with the availability of the main ingredient — Baltic herring. And where there is herring, there is vodka, so many people still prefer to wash down the salad with it. And they do it wrong: forty degrees of vodka wipes out the whole flavor bouquet of the dish.
It is better to serve herring under a fur coat with beer — IPA or stoned lager. A beer with a pronounced bitterness will help to balance the flavor of the salad, make you feel all its layers, and then combine them together, leaving a pleasant aftertaste.
Red caviar sandwiches
The ideal combination for caviar is champagne or sweet wines with high acidity, which complement its flavor and texture well. True, we are talking about caviar in its pure form, because in combination with bread it changes, becoming both sweet and salty at the same time.
That’s why we recommend to serve beer with caviar sandwiches this New Year’s Eve — and compare the sensations. Choose light Belgian ale — you won’t go wrong.
Tangerines
Favorite winter citrus have a pronounced sweetness and high acidity. Therefore, it is better to pair them with «heavy» beer without pronounced bitterness.
Belgian golden ale will help to emphasize the bright acidity of the fruit without interrupting its flavor. If you want something more original, try Belgian Quadrupel: you will get a familiar combination of citrus and chocolate.
And if you don’t have time to think about it, choose any light lager or pilsner — fresh sorts of beer will help unobtrusively shade the taste of tangerines and balance its sweetness.
Want more interesting combinations of beer with your favorite dishes? Come to any Lambic beer restaurant — we will advise you on varieties, choose the perfect gastronomic pairing and share the New Year mood with you!
Jeju Beer Company: legendary craft from South Korea
When talking about good beer, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic and other European countries are most often mentioned. And the reason for this is not that other parts of the globe do not make high-quality foam, it is simply that many varieties simply do not reach Russia. It is about such a case — the famous South Korean beer of Jeju Beer Company — that we will talk today. History of the brewery Jeju Beer Company was founded in 2015 on the largest Korean island of Jeju. The company, whose main mission is to create a new beer culture in the country, became the first global craft brewery in Korea, and in a short period of time — also the most popular. According to analytics, one bottle of Jeju Beer is purchased every three seconds in the country. In 2017, the company introduced a series of new wheat beers, including the already sensational Jeju Wit Ale, Jeju Pellong Ale and Jeju Slice. The highlight of these brews is the composition: the unique flavor of the beer is given by the rind of gamgyul, a citrus plant native to Jeju. Now Jeju Beer Company’s beer is exported to Taiwan, Thailand, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and other countries of the world. The global distribution network of the Korean brewery is ensured by partnership with Brooklyn Brewery. Jeju Beer Company is a winner of many festivals, in particular, the winner of silver medals of Australian International Beer Awards and Korea Liquor Awards 2019 in the category of craft beer. Best brews One of the most popular brews is Jeju Wit Ale. It is a luxurious wheat beer with the addition of the aforementioned Jeju Island citrus and coriander. The drink has a delicate floral aroma and a pleasant taste dominated by citrus notes. The beer recipe was developed in collaboration with Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery and winner of the James Beard Award, which is called the «Oscars» for chefs in the beer industry. Special attention should be paid to Jeju Pellong Ale. This is an American Pale Ale style beer with a citrusy aroma dominated by tones of apricot. The flavor has the sweetness of the tropics. The aftertaste is dry, with a pleasant citrus bitterness. There is also Jeju Geomeong Ale, a dark beer made with local black barley and chocolate malt. The drink has a rich flavor that reveals tones of coffee and dark chocolate. The same notes, as well as malt sweetness, can be felt in the taste of the drink. You don’t have to go to South Korea to try Jeju Beer Company beer. Come to Lambic! Our beer restaurants have hundreds of high quality beers from all over the world. We also have delicious food, excellent service and always cozy atmosphere. We are waiting for you!
23 January 2025
Belgian waffles: history of origin and interesting facts
If you ask anyone what Belgium is associated with, most people will name three things — a sculpture of a boy in Brussels, beer and, of course, waffles. Flavorful, airy and crispy, they have long ceased to be just a dish on restaurant menus and have become a real culinary landmark of the country. Back in the past Surprisingly, the history of the most famous waffles originates not in Belgium, but in the United States. During the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, Belgian pastry chef Walter Clement introduced his unique dish to the Americans. The waffles, served with strawberries and whipped cream, were so well liked by the local population that they soon spread throughout America. It is said that in the first four months after the «premiere» more than half a million waffles were sold in the United States. It is believed that the name «Belgian» was established because not all Americans knew where Brussels was located. In their homeland, Belgium, the famous waffles are called only Brussels waffles. Did you know that... Brussels waffles are made from yeast dough in cast iron waffle makers, which makes them soft on the outside and crispy on the inside. Some pastry chefs add a secret ingredient to it, but what it is they don’t reveal. There is speculation that it could be one of the beers, but there is no proof for this theory. Brussels waffles are often confused with Liege waffles, which are also made in Belgium, in the city of Liege. But these are different dishes: Liege waffles are drier, more like buns, and their dough contains bits of caramelized sugar. Classic Belgian waffles are sweet, served with coffee or tea. But there are also unsweetened waffles with different fillings. Where to try Of course, it is better to taste any national dish at home, but if you can’t go to Belgium yet — come to Lambic! Our Belgian beer restaurants have everything to feel the real taste of this wonderful country: dozens of varieties of beer, national cuisine and cozy atmosphere. And for Belgian waffles we have allocated a whole section with sweet classics with strawberries and ice cream, and unsweetened potato positions with fish, meat and other fillings. Come — it will be delicious!
23 January 2025