Het Boerenerf Gueuze

Het Boerenerf's Gueuze is a Belgian gueuze, a blend of spontaneously fermented lambics. That makes it a different thing from an ordinary sour beer. Fermentation is driven by wild yeast and bacteria rather than a single cultured strain, and the beer is refermented in the bottle. The label lists no ABV, IBU or age, so what follows describes the style and what to expect from it. Expect a dry, tart beer with a sharp, citrusy acidity, often compared to lemon peel or green apple. Gueuze usually has very little hop bitterness, because lambic brewing uses aged hops chosen for preservation rather than aroma. Many examples add a barnyard or hay-like funk, a faint oakiness from the barrels, and a stone-fruit or tart-orchard character. The carbonation is lively and champagne-like, and the finish is clean and dry, so the acidity makes your mouth water rather than coating it. Serve it cool rather than ice cold, at roughly 8 to 10°C (46 to 50°F). Colder temperatures mute the funk and fruit and leave mainly the sourness. Bottle-conditioned gueuze can throw a fine sediment, so stand the bottle upright for a while beforehand and pour in one slow, steady motion. Leave the last centimeter in the bottle if you want a bright pour. A tulip glass or a stemmed flute-style glass suits it. Both hold the aroma and show off the fine bubbles, and a flute keeps the carbonation going longer. The acidity works much as a squeeze of lemon does at the table. That makes gueuze a good partner for oily or salty foods such as fried fish, mussels, charcuterie, and smoked or cured meats. It also suits washed-rind and goat cheeses, whose richness it cuts through, and it works well alongside a vinaigrette-dressed salad. Plan on a dish with some fat or salt, because the beer's tartness can make it feel sharp when it's served alone with lighter, sweeter food.