BJCP 23F · European Sour Ale

Fruit Lambic

Lambic steeped with fruit, such as cherry (kriek) or raspberry (framboise): sour, dry and sparkling, with the fruit clearly defined over the wild background.

Fruit Lambic by the numbers

Alcohol (ABV): 5.0 – 7.0%on a scale of 2.0 to 14.0
Bitterness: 0 – 10 IBUon a scale of 0 to 100
Color: 3 – 7 SRM6–14 EBCon a scale of 1 to 40
Original gravity: 1.040 – 1.060on a scale of 1.026 to 1.130
Final gravity: 1.000 – 1.010on a scale of 0.990 to 1.040

From the palest to the darkest shade the style allows.

What Fruit Lambic is like

A lambic or gueuze with added fruit, which referments and contributes color, aroma and some acidity of its own. The fruit has to be clearly recognizable, but without erasing the wild, sour character of the base lambic. It's dry, complex and highly carbonated.

Appearance

The color depends on the fruit: deep red in a kriek, pink in a framboise, golden with peach. Abundant head tinted with the color of the fruit.

Aroma

Fruit up front, natural rather than candy-like or syrupy, over a background of lactic sourness and Brett notes. Kriek often shows a hint of almond that comes from the cherry pits.

Flavor

Clear fruit and pronounced sourness, with the wild lambic character behind. The finish is dry, with no residual sweetness in traditional versions. Bitterness is nil or very low.

Mouthfeel

Light to medium-light body, high to very high carbonation. It can come across as somewhat astringent from the fruit and the acidity.

Where Fruit Lambic comes from

Adding fruit to lambic is an old custom in the Brussels area, where kriek, made with sour cherries, is the most traditional. Framboise came later, and today there are versions with peach, blackcurrant, grape and other fruits. Many modern commercial versions are sweetened, but the style refers to the dry, traditional ones.

Ingredients

A base lambic, usually between one and two years old, and generous amounts of whole fruit: sour cherries, raspberries, peaches or currants. It's sometimes blended afterward with young lambic before bottling.

Brew it yourself

How to brew Fruit Lambic at home

Add the fruit to a lambic that already has months of aging and established sourness, never to the wort. Use plenty of fresh or frozen fruit, because fruit loses intensity as it ferments, and let the beer sit on it for several months. When bottling, account for the leftover sugars so you don't overcarbonate; use heavy bottles. You must declare the fruit when you enter it in a competition.

Food pairing

Dark chocolate desserts, cheesecake or duck with red berries.

Glassware: tulip glass, it concentrates the aroma and holds the head.

Classic examples

Boon Oude Kriek
Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek
Cantillon Rosé de Gambrinus

Frequently asked questions

How strong is Fruit Lambic?

Between 5.0% and 7.0% ABV, according to the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. That is a high strength.

How bitter is Fruit Lambic?

It has 0 to 10 IBUs, a very low bitterness. For reference, a mass-market lager is around 10 IBUs.

What color is Fruit Lambic?

Straw to amber: 3 to 7 SRM (6 to 14 EBC).

What food pairs well with Fruit Lambic?

Dark chocolate desserts, cheesecake or duck with red berries.

Which styles are similar?

If you like it, also try Gueuze, Fruit Beer and Wild Specialty Beer.

If you like Fruit Lambic, try these

BJCP 23E