Impressive Lambic, perfect for a sunny afternoon with friends

Spending the weekend in Cologne, I was having breakfast with my significant other and looking through the local rag to check that weekend's event calendar, to see what was happening in my metropolis when an ad for the annual beer fair caught my eye, promising us 700 different beers from all over the world. As I wanted to get my hands on some Brewski and Emerson's anyway, I thought, why not? So off we went, with the significant other obviously less impressed by the thought of being immersed in thousands of drunken Germans, but fortunately the Germans seem to be holding their drink a bit better than the British and there were no brawls or knifings, just happy, concentrated drinking.

Unfortunately none of the desired delicatessen were available, but the van Honsebrouck brewery from Flanders had an inviting looking stall selling their produce.

Their "St Louis" brand is a lambic brewed not far away from Bruges in Belgium and is available on tap or in 0.3 litre bottles. It pours with a dark golden colour and has a fresh, zesty nose that is quite promising. The taste is surprisingly fresh without being too sour (a problem with a lot of lambics) and is incredibly refreshing, although at an alcohol content of 4.5 percent one shouldn't get carried away too much. It actually resembles a traditional cider with its tangy fruityness more than a beer but is nevertheless a delicacy.

According to their website, the beer is also available with the typical belgian flavours of cherry and raspberry, but I didn't want to venture that far (and, acording to Albert Herring it's too sweet anyway).

One more reason to permanently move to Belgium.

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