Kriek lambic facts for kids

A glass of Belgian kriek beer

Kriek lambic is a special kind of Belgian beer. It is made by mixing a unique beer called lambic with sour cherries. The cherries used are often a type called Morello cherries. Traditionally, a rare Belgian variety called "Schaarbeekse krieken" from around Brussels was used. However, these cherries are now hard to find. So, some brewers use other kinds of sour cherries, sometimes from other countries.

What Does Kriek Mean?

The name "Kriek" comes from the Dutch word for this type of cherry.

How Kriek is Made

Traditionally, Kriek is made by breweries near Brussels. They start with lambic beer. Lambic is a very sour and dry Belgian beer. It ferments naturally with yeast found in the air around Brussels. Sour cherries, including their pits, are then added to the lambic. Using cherries (or raspberries for another beer called Framboise) in beer is actually older than using hops for flavor!

A traditional Kriek made with lambic beer is also sour and dry. The cherries stay in the beer for several months. This causes a second fermentation process. The extra sugar from the cherries turns into alcohol. This means there is usually no sweetness left, just a strong fruit flavor. After the cherries are taken out, the beer continues to mature.

More recently, some brewers have changed how they make fruit beers. They add sugar to the final product. This makes the beer less intense and sweeter, so more people might like it. These brewers also use cherry juice instead of whole cherries. This process takes much less time.

Framboise is a similar Belgian beer. It uses raspberries instead of sour cherries. Kriek is also related to gueuze. Gueuze is not a fruit beer, but it also uses refermented lambic beer. Some breweries, like Liefmans, make "kriek" beers using a different base beer called oud bruin instead of lambic.

Different Kriek Beers

Different brands of kriek

Here are some examples of traditional Kriek beers:

These Kriek beers have added sugar:

These Kriek beers are made with Oud Bruin beer:

See also

In Spanish: Kriek para niños