In response to my recent write-up of an unblended Lambic tasting, big Joe M. asked about the existence of Lambics brewed right here in the US, most particularly on the East Coast. Quite frankly, I couldn’t answer him. Luckily, someone else could. Joe’s question led to an informative comment from Jon Webster of Slake Thy Thirst that I thought was worth bringing up to the front page.
There are certainly a handful of adventurous brewers spread around the States that are running wild yeast fermentations and aging their beers in wood. However, it appears that Maine’s Allagash Brewing Company may be the first American brewery to try their hand at crafting a true Lambic, a project they began late last year. They’ve even posted a video that details production of their first batch.
Its main appeal may be to the serious beer geek. Even if that’s not you, though, it’s worth a watch. (If you’re reading this via subscription, you may need to click through to the blog itself to view the video.) At the very least, it’s always good to be reminded that YouTube can be good for something besides music. And stupid skateboard stunts.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Lambic Comes Ashore
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Wow...thanks McD. I need to re-watch the video and pay better attention, but still I enjoyed it and learned a few things. Now where is the Cantillon video?
Unibroue (www.unibroue.com) is Canadian, but widely available on the east coast, dedicated to Belgian-styled beers. The Ephemere is not a "true" lambic, but I love it and found many great write ups on it south of the border. Prosit! (seems appropriate when discussing beer, long story...)
Joe M.,
You're most welcome. I learned a few things from it as well. As for a Cantillon video, good question....
Joe,
We actually sell Unibroue stuff at the shop from time to time. I've been a fan of many of their beers ever since I first tried Fin du Monde and Maudite.
That vid just gives the geek in me shivers. Try the Allagash Interlude sometime, wild fermented and aged in used wine barrels, damn tasty.
Unibroue makes great beer, I love the Terrible and the Trois Pistoles, but they dont play with the wild yeasties. If you can find any, try Russian River Supplication, Lost Abbey Veritas or Red Poppy. Definitely members of my top ten list.
Jon,
Thanks for all the great recommendations. Russian River's brews are practically impossible to come by around here. I asked the owner of The Beer Yard about them a while back and he just kind of laughed and said "You can add your name to the list."
David,
They've been chatting about that on the beeradvocate (http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/1523313)
Seems bottles of Russian River in SEPA are 3-4 mos away. That's harsh, worth the wait though. We seem to be luckier down here in DC. C'est la Vie, I guess.
C'est la vie, indeed. I guess it's time to add my name to that waiting list.
Post a Comment