Lindeman's Framboise Lambic

Welcome to Beer Section of Bitterwaitress.com


I'm Fishy Tarbender, bring of absurdity to the forums, and hopefully I can expand your beer horizons.

I'm also into single-malt Scotch and bourbon, but on a tight budget, I can only do so much, so beer it is, but I might occasionally chime in on cocktails and wine, too.

I hope to bring an article at least once a week as I sample the MANY selections from across the world I have available in my metro area.

Speaking of worldwide.....today's selection is from Belgium. (I hear it's a Belgian style Lambic actually brewed in Canada, but I can't confirm that, not that it matters much in the larger scheme of things).

Lindeman's Framboise Lambic. Lambic is the style of beer, all of which are fruity in nature. Framboise is French for "raspberry," and so one can expect this beer to have a raspberry flavor to it.

and so it does. ha!



if you like ONLY stouts, porters, IPA, etc and not something fruity look away now.

At some point in the brew process, the brewers toss in a boatload of raspberries. This does a couple things. One, it colors the beers a deep magenta-like color that is almost beautiful to look at, and it imparts the wonderful taste and tartness of raspberries.

Yes, tartness. This is not a beer you guzzle to get drunk. It is VERY sweet and high in sugar content, and if there was such a category, I'd label it a Dessert Beer. Unless you're having a chocolate cake for dessert to pair this with, this, to my mind is not something you just drink. You savor it, you let the sweetness of the raspberries overpower you. Decent finish.

Like most beers, this is enjoyed best on tap...probably in a goblet or snifter. Obviously most places won't carry it on tap, so bottles are it. This should be available in most reputable liquor stores.

A lot of this beer goes a long way and a smaller portion is appropriate. It's not a particularly STRONG beer, but it is very sweet.
On a side note, I've been a bartender in the past and I like to mix things up a bit from time to time. Tonight, as I was tasting this beer for the article, I paired it with a stout. Young's Double Chocolate Stout as a matter of fact.

Take a pint glass and fill it about halfway with the Lambic. Get a large tablespoon. Open your Young's bottle. Hold the tablesoon, slightly tilted into the pint glass curved side up over the middle of the glass. Keep holding the spoon as you pour the Young's over the spoon. Don't be shy -- let the beer go. It'll foam a bit, but not much. Keep going till the glass is full.

If you did it right, you'll get a good black-and-tan sort of layering effect...a deep magenta on the bottom with the dark stout on top.

Enjoy your drink. As you get into it you'll eventually get a hint of chocolate mixed with raspberries. It's an interesting mix and actually cuts the tartness of the Framboise Lambic a bit.