Beer Pairings: 10 Recipes to Pair with Lambics

By Lucy Burningham


Published on July 22, 2011

Lambic, a Belgian style of beer famous for its natural fermentation, come in many varieties. In the straight-up version, Lambic ales are tart, puckery and complex, dry palate cleansers that can have flavors and aromas of barnyard funk, wheat, citrus and apples. The more common version to find the United States is a fruit lambic, where the beer is blended with fresh fruit or syrup. These are dominated by the flavor of the fruit added — often cherry, raspberry, muscat grapes, apples, or peaches — but because the base beer is so dry and sour, that doesn't mean they have too much sweetness; fruit lambics are still very dry and highly carbonated. They pair best with foods that bring out their fruit flavors, while the un-fruited lambics bring their acidity into play against rich, creamy foods.

Maurice Vermesch baked these waffles (properly called Brussels waffles and, in Belgium, topped with just confectioners’ sugar) at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, but only after he sold them at the 1964-65 New York fair did they soar in popularity in this country. Vermersch’s daughter Mariepaule wouldn’t divulge her family’s recipe, but we think we’ve come very close. One tip she did reveal: Aunt Jemima self-rising flour produces a flavor that is the most like that of the original waffle.

JAMES BAIGRIE
Drinks

Beer Pairings: 10 Recipes to Pair with Lambics

By Lucy Burningham


Published on July 22, 2011

Lambic, a Belgian style of beer famous for its natural fermentation, come in many varieties. In the straight-up version, Lambic ales are tart, puckery and complex, dry palate cleansers that can have flavors and aromas of barnyard funk, wheat, citrus and apples. The more common version to find the United States is a fruit lambic, where the beer is blended with fresh fruit or syrup. These are dominated by the flavor of the fruit added — often cherry, raspberry, muscat grapes, apples, or peaches — but because the base beer is so dry and sour, that doesn't mean they have too much sweetness; fruit lambics are still very dry and highly carbonated. They pair best with foods that bring out their fruit flavors, while the un-fruited lambics bring their acidity into play against rich, creamy foods.

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