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!
That's the base: what kind of beer the zoomers drink and what Kraft has to do with it
What is cringe to some is Spanish shame to others. With the beginning of a new era, not only language changes — fashion, interests and, of course, tastes change. Including beer. We wondered what kind of beer people of different generations prefer, whether the fashion for craft beer among millennials is still alive, and what the Zoomers like. Who likes what kind of beer It turns out that the theory of generations, which was proposed by Americans William Strauss and Neil Howe, works in the field of food. The year of birth directly affects what food, drinks and lifestyle a person chooses. The following picture emerges for beer: — Generation X — those born between 1965 and 1979 — are beer traditionalists who choose the classics that have been tried and tested over the years, both imported and domestic; — Millennials — children of the eighties and early nineties — drink mostly imported beers, and craft — still; — Zoomers — born after 1996 — are more health-oriented, so they don’t drink much beer. But if they do drink beer, they drink trendy drinks — fruit and tomato varieties, as well as beer smoothies. What’s on trend The beer industry has seen several consistent trends in recent years, and these trends are expected to be with us into 2025. Let’s take a closer look at what beer lovers can expect in the new year. First of all, imported beer will return to us. After sanctions were imposed, some brands left the market, and the share of foreign beer decreased to 7% of the total volume. Now imported beer is experiencing a new wave of popularity in our country, the former demand for it is returning, which means that there is hope for the appearance of familiar labels in stores. Non-alcoholic beer is still in fashion, and the reason for this is the fashion for a healthy lifestyle. Significant funds have been poured into advertising of beer without degrees, even Olympic champions support popular brands of non-alcoholic beer. According to statistics, sales of non-alcoholic beer have increased by more than 20% in the past year, and this is probably just the beginning. And, of course, unusual flavors were and still are in trend. Craft breweries are still at the top of their game — vegetable, tomato and mushroom gose, unusual fruit and berry drinks, and «soupy» flavors like tom yam are at the peak of popularity. No matter how old you are or what kind of beer you prefer, there’s sure to be a drink you’ll love at Lambic. And also in our beer restaurants — a wide choice of dishes, quality service and always cozy atmosphere. We are waiting for you!
20 December 2024
Holiday with Christmas beer flavor: we tell you what is Christmas beer
New Year’s Eve is associated with bubbles of sparkling wine, the cold season in general — with warming mulled wine, and Christmas, especially in the countries of the victorious foam — with the taste of Christmas beer. Not everyone in Russia knows about this Western tradition, and not everyone has tasted real Christmas beer. We fill the offensive gap and tell you what Christmas beer is, how to drink it and what to combine it with. A bit of history Christmas beer appeared in pre-Christian Scandinavia — Vikings brewed an unusual winter drink for the Yule holiday, which took place at the end of December. Beer was considered a gift to the Scandinavian gods, so its consumption was an obligatory item of the holiday program. In the Middle Ages Christmas beer was also loved in Europe — Germany, France, Belgium and England. Everywhere it was prepared in different ways, but it was always based on seasonal beer, usually strong and dense ale, which was brewed in monasteries and abbeys. In the XVIII century Christmas beer together with the Scandinavians emigrated to the USA, in the beginning of the XX century it gained commercial status, and in 1975 it got a new and permanent popularity thanks to Anchor Brewing Co, which released a special drink for Christmas holidays. And today Christmas beer is known and loved in many countries — for example, in Denmark its annual release is accompanied by a national holiday called J-Day. Features of Christmas beer Christmas beer is a strong, dark and spicy beer that has a rich consistency, sweet notes in the taste and a warming aftertaste. It both gives a sense of festivity and warms you up in the cold season as well as mulled wine. Brewers often add spices to Christmas beer — nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, orange and lemon zest. A prime example of a Christmas beer is Delirium Christmas from the Belgian brewery Huyghe. It is a strong amber ale with an aroma of fruit, spices and caramel malt, as well as a bright spicy taste with a bittersweet aftertaste. Perfect for winter! Christmas beer is best served chilled to 7-15 degrees, not in straight beer glasses, but in rounded glasses, as for wine. The ideal gastronomic pairing for the drink will depend on the variety, but the universal choice will be grilled meat, oven-baked vegetables, chocolate and creamy desserts. Looking for a place to try an authentic Christmas beer? Come to Lambic! Our beer restaurants offer a huge selection of quality beer from all over the world and delicious food that will be a perfect accompaniment to your favorite drink. Come — we will find something to surprise you!
20 December 2024