Sour beer: what is this style and why is it chosen at Lambic?
Many people who are not familiar with beer are sure that a sour-tasting brew is defective or spoiled. But this is far from the truth. Sour beer is a whole world of exquisite, complex, and surprisingly refreshing styles that are appreciated by connoisseurs around the world. Let’s take a look at why this unusual taste wins hearts and what makes sour beers so good.
Not a coincidence, but an art
The acidity in these beers is the result of painstaking work. The effect is achieved not only through the use of special yeast, but also thanks to the work of bacteria, especially wild bacteria, or prolonged aging in vats and barrels. This is how the famous Belgian lambics, sparkling gazes, and bright fruity sour ales are born.
Sour beer does not have the usual hoppy or malty bouquet. More often, its taste and aroma contain notes of dry cider, sparkling wine, ripe forest berries, citrus, green apple, or honey. Thanks to its wine-like and fruity character, sour beer often becomes a discovery even for those who do not like beer in general.
Sour beer in the Lambic range
At Lambic restaurants, we place special emphasis on authentic Belgian sour styles—the very ones that started the history of this genre. We recommend trying:
— Lambic — a Belgian beer of spontaneous fermentation. It is fermented under the influence of wild yeast and bacteria from the environment of the Senne River valley. This gives the drink a characteristic dry, sour wine taste with a long tart aftertaste.
— Gueuze — a variety obtained by mixing young (1 year old) and aged (2 years old and older) lambic. The young beer provides sugar for secondary fermentation in the bottle, while the aged beer adds complexity to the flavor. The result is a sparkling, highly carbonated beer with sharp acidity and a balanced, deep bouquet.
— Fruit lambics. Whole fruits are added to mature lambic: cherries (Kriek), raspberries (Framboise), peaches (Timmermans Peche), and others. They cause additional fermentation, imparting their flavor, color, and aroma to the beer. The result is a perfect balance between the fruity notes and the dry acidity of classic lambic. These varieties are not sweet, but fresh and complex.
— Flemish ales. They are brewed using red-brown malts and aged in oak barrels for several years. Interaction with lactic acid bacteria produces a characteristic acetic sourness. Depending on the variety, the taste also includes notes of fruit, bread, caramel, wood, spices, dates, chocolate, molasses, and others.
Pairings with Belgian cuisine
The bright, complex character of sour ale requires the right gastronomic accompaniment. Here are some of our recommendations:
— Seafood: live mussels, shrimp on ice, salmon tartare, cod with creamy nutmeg spinach. Sour beer will emphasize the tenderness of seafood and, if necessary, soften its fat content.
— Meat dishes and appetizers: beef tartare, smoked roast beef from Picardy with Parmesan and capers, Flemish-style beef. Sour varieties will create an interesting contrast and add freshness.
— Cheeses and pâtés: baked Camembert with truffle paste, chicken pâté with caramelized onions and strawberry jam. Sour beer is an excellent accompaniment to rich appetizers, as it balances their fattiness well.
— Salads and light dishes: salad with shrimp, avocado, and feta cream, green salad with crispy chicken and citrus aioli. In the first case, the beer will contrast with the creamy texture, and in the second, the acidity will harmoniously echo the citrus notes.
— Desserts: pistachio roll with raspberries, kataifi tiramisu, brownies with salted caramel. If the dish has a fruity sourness, the foam will complement it well, and sweet desserts will harmoniously balance it.
Key advice: it is best to try sour beer for the first time on the recommendation of a specialist, rather than blindly. It is important to serve it correctly — chilled, in a wide tulip-shaped glass, in order to fully appreciate its taste and aroma. The best option is to taste it at Lambic. Our waiters will assist you.
Which Belgian beer to try for the first time: a guide for beginners
Contents How is Belgian beer different from «regular» beer? Styles for beginners: from simple to complex Taste preferences: what to choose Practical tips Belgium is a country where beer has long been a national treasure. Hundreds of varieties, unique traditions, monastery recipes, and innovative approaches have created an incredible diversity that can surprise any tourist. If you have decided to try Belgian beer for the first time, this guide will help you navigate the world of complex aromas and unusual flavors. How is Belgian beer different from «regular» beer? Unlike the familiar lagers, most Belgian varieties are special fermentation ales. Their secret lies in unique yeasts that create a complex bouquet with fruity, spicy, and sometimes peppery notes. Here, it is not so much the bitterness of the hops that is valued, but rather the balance, aroma, and aftertaste. Many recipes have been carefully preserved by monasteries or local breweries for centuries. The second important aspect is the widespread use of sugars. Caramelized sugar in dark varieties gives a rich color and taste of dried fruit, while simple sugar in light ales increases the strength, keeping the beer surprisingly light and drinkable. Some varieties undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle, which makes them lively, sparkling, and capable of evolving in flavor over time. Styles for beginners: from simple to complex Which beer should you try? Start with the «classic» styles — blonde, wheat beer, and fruit ale. Belgian blonde ale is a golden, clear beer with a moderate alcohol content of 6–7.5%. Its taste is perfectly balanced: soft malt sweetness, pronounced fruity and spicy notes (often apple, pear, and pepper), and a delicate, rounded bitterness in the aftertaste. Classic examples: La Chouffe, Affligem Blonde. Witbier (white beer) is brewed with a large amount of unmalted wheat, which gives it its characteristic cloudiness and silky texture. Mandatory ingredients are coriander and dried orange peel, which add citrus freshness and a spicy aroma. Examples: Blanche De Bruges, Corsendonk Blanche. Fruit ales based on lambic are an option for those looking for an unusual but not too extreme flavor. Lindemans Kriek is a cherry beer with a bright, juicy, dessert-like taste. A more complex option is Boon Kriek Mariage Parfait. Dubbel — a dark ruby or brown beer with an alcohol content of 6–8% and a rich, warm taste. You will taste dark bread, caramel, raisins, prunes, and sometimes light chocolate tones. Examples: Westmalle Trappist Dubbel, Corsendonk Pater. Flemish red ale (e.g., Rodenbach Grand Cru) is aged in oak barrels for two years, acquiring a complex flavor with notes of cherry, raspberry, red currant, and a pleasant vinegar-balsamic sourness. Lambic — the result of spontaneous fermentation, maturing for years in oak barrels. The pinnacle of this style is geuze, a blend of young and aged lambic with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Examples: Geuze Mariage Parfait, Lindemans Oude Gueuze Cuvée René. Taste preferences: what to choose — If you like sweet and caramel flavors: choose a dubbel or quadruple.— If you like bitter and spicy flavors: try a Belgian strong pale ale.— If you like sour and refreshing: start with Flemish red ale, then move on to geuze.— If you like light and fruity: go for witbier or fruit lambic (e.g., cherry Kriek).— If you want a balanced and classic taste: Belgian blond is the one for you. Practical tips Serving Belgian beer is a ritual. Each style often has its own glass, the shape of which reveals the aroma. Light and fruity varieties are served at 6—8°C, strong ales and dubbels at 10—12°C, and geuze at 12—14°C. Pairing tips: blondes and witbiers — with mussels, white fish, salads, and light appetizers; dubbels and tripels — with aged cheeses like Gouda or Maasdam; sour ales — with fatty meat dishes; quadrupels — with dark chocolate and coffee desserts. All the varieties we have described in this article can be sampled at the Lambic chain of beer restaurants. Come visit us — we will recommend the most delicious beer and select the perfect gastronomic accompaniment!
26 December 2025
Light and not too strong beer: what to drink after the New Year holidays
Contents The lightest styles Food pairing Tried and tested varieties from the Lambic menu The New Year holidays are a time of abundant feasts, rich dishes, and, often, strong drinks. By mid-January, the body inevitably asks for a break. This does not mean that you have to cancel meetings with friends — you can simply replace strong alcohol with light and fresh beer. We will tell you which varieties are best to choose. The lightest styles Light beer is an excellent choice for the post-holiday period. Thanks to its moderate strength, it does not burden the digestive system and liver, allowing them to recover after the holiday stress. What we recommend drinking in January: — Wheat beer (witbier). It is made exclusively from natural ingredients: water, barley malt, wheat, hops, and brewer’s yeast. It has an interesting spicy taste due to the addition of orange peel and spices, as well as a slight hop bitterness, which is balanced by the sweetness of malt. Wheat varieties help to «cleanse» the taste buds after heavy, fatty foods, restore balance, and make it easier to return to a normal eating pattern. — Belgian Blonde. This style combines the light sweetness of malt with the fruity and spicy notes (pear, apple, pepper) characteristic of Belgian yeast. There is a delicate bitterness in the aftertaste. This beer has a recognizable Belgian character, but remains surprisingly drinkable and refreshing. — Low-alcohol ales and lagers. A simple and light beer with a soft texture, pleasant sweet malt tones, velvety hop freshness, and a harmonious aftertaste. Thanks to its low alcohol content (3–5%), it is easy on the body, and its clean taste allows it to be paired with a wide variety of foods. Food pairing Winter varieties with their rich flavors should be served with equally rich dishes. Low-alcohol January beer, on the other hand, requires equally light snacks. It is important that the beer does not overpower, but refreshes, complements, and emphasizes the pure flavors of the dishes. The ideal pairing for light beer would be: — Salads and fresh vegetables. For example, green salad with citrus dressing, eggplant salad, chicken salad, Greek salad. We recommend pairing with wheat beer or light ale. — Fish and seafood. Baked white fish, shrimp, mussels, oysters. Belgian wheat beer is an excellent pairing for fish dishes. The slight bitterness and citrus notes in the beer create the perfect contrast to seafood. — Light protein dishes and pasta. Omelets with herbs, steamed turkey or chicken cutlets, veal meatballs, pasta with vegetable-based sauces (such as pesto) or cream. Can be paired with any light beer — it will perfectly refresh and balance the richness and fat content of the meat. — Appetizers and cheeses. These can be fresh goat cheeses, young brined cheeses (Adyghe, feta), bruschetta with toppings. An interesting option is to pair a light but aromatic Belgian blonde with semi-hard aged cheeses such as Gouda, where the drink will gently offset the fat content of the cheese. Tried and tested varieties from the Lambic menu We have compiled a selection of the lightest beers available at Lambic beer restaurants: — St. Bernardus Wit — a traditional Belgian pale beer with a refreshing taste and sweet aroma. The taste is smooth and refreshing, with honey sweetness and hints of citrus and spices. The aftertaste is long, dry, slightly tart, with a balance of sweetness and bitterness. The aroma has nuances of malt, wheat, biscuits, citrus, cilantro, cloves, banana, and coriander. — Brugse Zot Blonde — a light Belgian ale with a unique taste. This low-alcohol beer is brewed from two varieties of hops and four types of malt, and after fermentation, it undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. The taste is dominated by sweet fruit notes, which blend harmoniously with the bitterness of hops and nuances of yeast, allspice, spices, and herbs. The aftertaste is slightly bitter, and the aroma, in addition to fruit, yeast, and hops, has notes of chewing gum and cloves. — Sater Premium Lager — a Belgian lager with a balanced, clean taste, in which hop bitterness harmoniously combines with the sweetness of malt. It has a delicate and pleasant aroma with hints of grain, malt, and light herbal notes. — Eggenberg Hopfenkonig — another lager, but this one is from Austria. It has a balanced, dry, delicate taste with notes of fresh bread, cream, biscuit, and subtle herbal nuances. It is very tasty, drinkable, and refreshing. To get the most out of a light beer, choose the right glass for it — tall and thin for wheat beer, tulip-shaped for blonde beer. And if you are unsure about your choice or want to discover something new, come to Lambic: our experts will recommend a variety that is sure to win your heart. See you after the holidays!
26 December 2025