If you own a
liquor store, or have ever worked in one, you know that a lot of champagne
is sold for New Years Eve. That’s because lots of people like to ring in the
New Year with a glass of bubbly. But not me. I like to do it with beer, and
always have. It’s been an annual tradition to pop a bottle of special beer
chez Bruguru every December 31st (along with Chinese food and Three Stooges
marathons, but that’s another story).
To ring in 2004, I pried off the cap and pulled out the cork on a 750ml
bottle of Cantillon Kriek Lambic. Brewed in Brussels, Belgium,
Cantillon is a blended lambic, made from more than one batch. Kriek
is Flemish for cherry, and this is in fact a fruit beer. Whole cherries are
fermented in barrels of lambic, which I think imparts a superior flavor to
beers made with fruit juice.
Lambics differ from ordinary beers in that rather than having yeast pitched
into them they are allowed to spontaneously ferment. Yeast already present
in the air do the job, and the resulting brew is somewhat different than
what you may be used to. Bacteria also get in on the act, imparting
characteristic sour notes. Lambics can also ferment from yeast on the skins
of the fruit, too, in much the same way that wine does.
Cantillon Kriek is not an everyday beer, at least not here in the United
States. At $11.99 for a 750 ml bottle, this may be a beer that is more
expensive than many are used to paying. But it’s really not that extravagant
when you think about it; wine enthusiasts often pay much, much more for a
top of the line wine.
Cantillon is a traditional lambic, with a characteristic sourness that may
in fact be too intense for those unfamiliar with the style. Other lambics
imported into the United States, like Lindemans, are sweetened with sugar to
make them more broadly palatable. I think Lindemans’ beers have their own
charm, but I do prefer the beers of Cantillon to them.
Cantillon Kriek Lambic pours to a pinkish red color with a
spritzy-bubbly, short lived head formation and a tart cherry nose. The beer
is immediately very tart from the first sip with notes of unripe cherries
and toasted almonds. The tart fruit notes intensify into the finish, which
is very dry, acidic, and mouth-puckeringly sour.
This is an incredibly complex and delicious beer indeed. Again, beware,
because it is an acquired taste. The refreshing sourness makes it compatible
with a wide array of cuisines. The acidity will allow it to cut through the
thickest of French or Belgian sauces. Mine was a perfect companion to the
complexity of Shrimp in Lobster Sauce and ginger-rich Mongolian Chicken.
Truly a beer that begs to be served with food.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.