The cherry lambic, or kriek, is often considered a pillar of Belgian brewing. Along with gueuze and framboise, it is a mainstay beer in that country. Lambic-style beers are known for their musty, tart, sour, acidic, and earthy flavors. Traditional methods used by Belgian brewers involve wild or natural fermentation with yeast and bacteria that are part of the terroir. The kriek (“cherry” in Flemish) is most commonly considered a fruited lambic (however, other beers like the Flanders red ale are sometimes fruited with cherries). The kriek originated in the Senne River valley near Brussels. They should be tart, crisp and bubbly with lots of sharp cherry character. Belgian brewers insist on using local fruits, and believe extended aging of the cherries, including pits, of one-to-two years is necessary for flavor, before it’s bottled and allowed to condition even longer. Today, Peaks & Pints presents a to-go flight of Kriek — both Belgian and from other countries — in a flight we’re calling Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Kriek On the Fly.
Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Kriek On the Fly
Lindemans Kriek
3.5% ABV
Lambics are sharp, acidic, and fruity. They can be compared to yogurt or vinegar but with hints of sweetness. There are also several sub-styles of lambics. Lindemans was the first to introduce lambics to the American market (in 1979) and have remained the most popular brand. While they also make a peach, raspberry and pear lambic, the cherry is their most traditional flavor. Whole fresh cherries are added to the casks, triggering a third fermentation and promoting a spritz-y carbonation that gives the finished beer a champagne-like character with excellent mouthfeel. The flavor is akin to a natural black cherry soda, having a dark sweetness with only a flash of malty bitterness.
Ommegang Rosetta Kriek
5.6% ABV, 9 IBU
Brewed and blended by Ommegang‘s sister brewery Liefmans in Belgium, Rosetta combines old (aged on cherries at least three years) and young Flemish brown ale (or oud bruin) with a lively and fruity kriek, or cherry beer. The blend, which was developed by Ommegang Brewmaster Phil Leinhart, results in a complex yet refreshing mahogany-brown brew that is an intriguing interplay of tartness and sweetness.
Firestone Walker Frieky Bones
6.3% ABV
Frieky Bones is a re-imagination of Firestone Walker’s long-treasured Krieky Bones, a classic Flanders-style Kriek beer that they hadn’t made for a few years, and that was due for a reprise. The brewery’s Barrelworks’ Master Blender Jim “Sour Jim” Crooks added twice the typical amount of Montmorency cherries (totaling 3.5 pounds of fruit for every gallon of beer), creating an incredible wild ale that doubles down on delicious fruit flavors. The Montmorency cherries came from King Orchards in northern Michigan, and they were selected by Crooks for their tart yet sumptuous character. The cherries were co-fermented with a base Flanders-style ale that had spent two years in an oak foeder, and the resulting elixir was matured in oak for another four months prior to bottling.
Une Annee Kriek
6.5% ABV
In 2013, on the near west side of Chicago (near Hubbard’s Cave), with the quest of making fine Belgian and French inspired ales for all beer lovers, Jerry Nelson launched Une Annee. Nelson has since expanded his Une Annee offerings to include fruited and unfruited American wild ales. In 2017, the brewery moved to neighboring Chicago suburb, Niles, IL, and expanded to include a taproom. Their Kriek is a lambic-style mixed fermentation sour with bright cherry, lemongrass, clove, and just a hint of barnyard funk.
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