A lesson in lambic
When most people think of Belgian beer, they usually imagine a goldencoloured and strong but also astonishingly drinkable ale. But open your palate, dear readers, and you will find that this small country has an extensive array of styles to sample beyond the blonde or tripel.
Highly prized in the world of beer, lambic is partially brewed in the open air – and only in Belgium
And sampling is the name of the game during a brewery tour. This week, we begin our four-part series of articles on brewery tours in Flanders with Cantillon and an old and underappreciated style: lambic.
Chances are, if you have had commercially available lambic, it was not of the traditional variety. By means of a 1993 Royal Proclamation, any beer can be labelled a “lambic” if it contains even a trace amount of lambic beer. Many larger breweries sweeten a lambic base with sugar, fruit juice or syrup – rather than the traditional way of using whole fruits – to make kriek and framboise, a cherry and raspberry lambic respectively, which appeal to larger markets.
Cantillon eschews this practice of sweetening a beverage that is naturally sour. “Our beer is never manipulated to make a ‘modern’ beer,” says Julie Van Roy.
“Forget everything you know about beer.” That’s the sound advice Van Roy gives at the beginning of Cantillon’s self-guided brewery and Gueuze Museum tour. She’s the great-granddaughter of Paul Cantillon, this family brewery’s founder, and the sister of head brewer, Jean Van Roy, so she knows what she’s talking about.
Cantillon has been a family business since its inception in 1900. Paul Cantillon passed the craft down to sons Marcel and Robert, and, in 1968, Marcel’s son-in-law Jean-Pierre Van Roy (Julie and Jean’s father) took over the reins.
Tradition is an obvious and integral part of Cantillon’s operation. A walk through the brewery is a little bit like travelling back in time. Old photos and antique furniture decorate the tasting area, and tables are fashioned from old, wooden barrels.
Much of the brewery’s equipment dates back to the 19th century. Copper figures prominently, from the massive hop boilers to the “cool ship” – a large, shallow vat used to cool the wort, a mixture that forms during the brewing process. This is unusual these days; modern breweries have shifted to stainless steel to keep costs down.
Ten years ago, Cantillon made a conscious decision to move away from ingredients grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, both out of respect for natural agricultural methods and a desire to use only the highest quality ingredients in their beer. They now use all organic wheat, barley and hops as well as some organic cherries.
What is lambic?
Cantillon is the only lambic brewery in Brussels and one of only nine lambic breweries in Belgium – and in the world. Lambic is a very traditional style of beer that originates in the Zenne Valley (which includes Brussels) and Pajottenland, the picturesque rural area just west of Brussels. Authentic lambic gets its distinct character from specific micro-organisms that are abundant in this particular region.
All beers are made with yeast, but most yeast is cultivated and carefully controlled by brewers in order to produce a very specific product. Lambic brewing, on the other hand, relies on the inoculation of wild yeast. In a critical stage of the brewing process, the wort (a liquid containing the sugars that will be converted by the yeast into alcohol) is cooled in the open air (rather than in a sterile, covered environment). This gives airborne bacteria and wild yeast access to the beer, which activates spontaneous fermentation.
Though European Union hygiene regulations frown upon this manner of brewing, it is currently protected. The Beersel-based Hoge Raad voor Ambachtelijke Lambikbieren (High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers) is a group of brewers and blenders devoted to promoting and protecting the lambic tradition.
Prior to yeast cultivation, all brewing – dating all the way back to ancient Egypt – relied on this method of spontaneous fermentation. But now it’s restricted almost exclusively to Belgium. Most brewers are wary of wild yeast because, once introduced to the brewing environment, it could forever change the beer produced there.
Lambic is a still, sour beverage that is more comparable to wine than beer due to its dryness and complexity. Cantillon ages their lambic for three years in oak wine barrels. During much of this time, fermentation is still occurring.
Oud (old) and jong (young) lambic are combined to make gueuze, a sparkling beverage that is sometimes referred to as the “Champagne of Belgium”. To make gueuze, old beer with a distinct character is blended with young beer that has enough sugar to trigger further fermentation in the bottle.
Blending lambic requires an experienced palate; some even view it as an art form. Gueuze can be cellared like wine and oude gueuze is highly prized by aficionados.
I won’t lie; the first time I tasted an oude gueuze, years ago, I recoiled and never put it to my lips again. But a recent weekend of tasting tours with a lambic connoisseur brought me around a bit. Although I can’t begin to match his enthusiasm for the style, I definitely gained an appreciation for it, as well as the brewers and the fervent fans keeping this unique beer alive.
Finding lambic
It is rare to find lambic on tap, but you can find some specialised places in Brussels and Pajottenland that do it. The capital’s Chez Moeder Lambic is a destination for beer connoisseurs in general, with over 300 bottled beers to choose from. But, as the name implies, lambic lovers specifically might like to show up to see what’s on the rotating tap (usually one of Cantillon’s brews). Savoiestraat 68, Brussels
De Rare Vos is a charming, traditional restaurant in the Pajottenland that serves up delicious, beery fare like rabbit cooked in gueuze and stoofvlees made with kriek. Try their homemade house beer, Girardin Rare Vos. 22 Marktplein, Schepdaal
Tour Cantillon
You can take a self-guided tour of Cantillon and the gueuze museum any day of the week except Sundays for only €5, which includes two samples of beer. Guided group tours can also be arranged.
The brewing period lasts from April to October. I recommend calling ahead to find out their brewing schedule. It is particularly valuable to see the brewing process, and, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to chat with the brewer and maybe even sample some warm wort (think of it as nobly immersing yourself in Flemish culture). Cantillon also hosts special tasting events and two open brewery days with guided tours each year.
You can download a PDF map from the Cantillon website of a historical walking route that takes you all the way from Brussels’ Grote Markt to the brewery in Anderlecht.
Cantillon
Gheudestraat 56
Brussels
www.cantillon.be
