Gueuze, château d'or Vilvorde, emaille reclamebord

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Gueuze (Dutch ''geuze'', ; French ''gueuze'', ) is a type of

lambic Lambic () is a type of beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium southwest of Brussels and in Brussels itself since the 13th century. Types of lambic beers include gueuze, kriek lambic and framboise. Lambic differs from most other beers ...

, a

Belgian beer Beer in Belgium includes pale ales, lambics, Flanders red ale, Flemish red ales, sour Oud bruin, brown ales, strong ales and Stout (beer), stouts. In 2018, there were 304 active breweries in Belgium, including international companies, such as A ...

. It is made by blending young (1-year-old) and old (2- to 3-year-old) lambics, which is bottled for a second

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...

. Because the young lambics are not fully fermented, the blended beer contains fermentable

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

s, which allow a second fermentation to occur. Due to its lambic blend, gueuze has a different flavor than traditional ales and lagers. Because of their use of aged hops, lambics lack the characteristic hop aroma or flavor found in most other beers. Furthermore, the wild

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitut ...

s that are specific to lambic-style beers give gueuze a dry,

cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...

-like, musty, sour,

acetic acid Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main component ...

lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as natu ...

taste. Many describe the taste as sour and "barnyard-like". Because of its carbonation, gueuze is sometimes called "

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

". In modern times, some brewers have added sweeteners such as

aspartame Aspartame is an artificial non-saccharide sweetener 200 times sweeter than sucrose and is commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages. It is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide with the trade names ...

to their gueuzes to sweeten them, trying to make the beer more appealing to a wider audience. The original, unsweetened version is often referred to as "Oude Gueuze" ("Old Gueuze") and became more popular in the early 2000s. Tim Webb, a British writer on Belgian and other beers, comments on the correct use of the term Oude gueuze' or 'oude geuze', now legally defined and referring to a drink made by blending two or more 100% lambic beer." Traditionally, gueuze is served in

champagne bottles Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

, which hold either . Traditionally, gueuze, and the lambics from which it is made, has been produced in the area known as

Pajottenland The Pajottenland (in English occasionally Payottenland) is a distinct region within the Flemish Brabant province and the south-western part of the Brussels Region of Belgium. The region is located west-southwest of Brussels. The Pajottenland is pre ...

and in Brussels. However, some non-Pajottenland/Brussels lambic brewers have sprung up and one or two also produce gueuze – see table below. Gueuze (both 'Oude' and others) qualified for the European Union's designation 'TSG' (

Traditional Speciality Guaranteed A traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG, plural: ''traditional specialities guaranteed'') is a traditional food product protected under European Union and/or UK law. This label differs from the geographical indications, protected designation of o ...

) in 1997/98.

Etymology

The name was first seen as the Flemish word 'geuze-bier' in a French text in 1829. There is some debate on where the word gueuze originated. One theory is that it originated from ''geysa'' (geyser),

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

for ''gush'', since, during times of vigorous fermentation, gueuze will spew out of the bunghole of its enclosing oak barrel.. Another one derives it from a street called 'Geuzenstraat' (

Geuzen Geuzen (; ; french: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (; ; frenc ...

Street) in Brussels, but such a street does not exist there. Another theory derives it from the French word 'gueuse' (meaning pig iron or raw iron), as originally, gueuze was defined as raw (unblended), aged, but fine-tasting lambic.

Méthode Traditionnelle

Some American

craft breweries A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...

have begun blending young and old

sour beer Sour beer, also known as Sours, is beer which has an intentionally acidic, tart, or sour taste. Traditional sour beer styles include Belgian lambics, gueuze and Flanders red ale, and German gose and Berliner Weisse. Brewing Unlike modern brewing, ...

s, to produce their own versions of the traditional gueuze. In 2016

Jester King Brewery Jester King is a craft brewery in Austin, Texas that specializes in beer fermented with wild yeast. It is set on a 200-acre ranch about 18 miles west of Downtown Austin. Jester King was founded in 2010 by Jeff Stuffings and Michael Steffing. Jos ...

released a blended, spontaneously fermented beer which it labelled as "Méthode Gueuze." However, ''the High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers (

HORAL __NOTOC__ The High Council for Artisanal Lambic Beers ( Dutch: ''Hoge Raad voor Ambachtelijke Lambiekbieren'', HORAL) is a non-profit organisation that brings together the gueuze brewers and blenders of the Pajottenland and Zenne Valley in Belgium ...

)'' objected to the name, and the two parties arranged a meeting in Belgium. It was agreed that in future the American brewers would use the designation "Méthode Traditionelle" as a style name.

Commercial production of Gueuze

Commercial production of gueuze commenced in the 19th century; modern breweries that produce gueuze include: *

3 Fonteinen 3 Fonteinen is a Belgium, Belgian brewery, specialized in geuze and Kriek lambic, kriek. The brewery is situated in Beersel, near Brussels and produces classic versions of both kriek and geuze. Geuzestekerij 3 Fonteinen was founded in 1887 as ...

Boon Boon may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Boon (game), a trick-taking card game * ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells * ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick * The Ultimate Boo ...

* Belle-Vue * Cantillon * De Cam * Girardin * Hanssens * Lindemans *

Mort Subite Alken-Maes is a Belgian brewery created out of the 1988 merger of two small breweries, Maes located at Kontich-Waarloos and Cristal-Alken located at Alken. It was bought by Scottish & Newcastle in 2000, who were taken over by Carlsberg and H ...

Oud Beersel Oud Beersel is a Belgian lambic brewery. It is a member of HORAL, whose main event is ''Toer De Geuze'' every two years. History Oud Beersel is an artisanal lambic brewery, based in Beersel and founded in 1882 by Henri Vandervelden. His son ...

* De Troch *

Tilquin Tilquin (or Gueuzerie Tilquin) is a Belgian lambic beer blendery based in Bierghes, Brussels, founded in 2009 by Pierre Tilquin. Tilquin is the only lambic blendery in the mainly French-speaking, southern region of Wallonia. Tilquin also is exclu ...

* Timmermans Both gueuze and

are

protected Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...

under

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

(since 1965) and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an (since 1992) law.

Oude Geuze breweries and beers

Information extracted from Webb.Webb, 2010, pp.30-53, 56-57

Pajottenland / Brussels

**''Mariage parfait Oude Gueuze (8%)'' **''Moriau Oude Gueuze (7%)'' **''Oude Gueuze (7%)'' **''Dekoninck Gueuze (6%)'' * Cantillon **''Gueuze 100% lambic (5%)'' **''Lou Pepe Gueuze (5%)'' *De Cam ''Oude Gueuze (6.5%)'' *De Troch ''Cuvée Chapeau Oude Gueuze (5.5%)'' *

**''Vintage Oude Gueuze (8%)'' **''Oude Gueuze (6%)'' **''Millennium Gueuze (7%)'' **''50e Anniversary Gueuze (6%)'' * Girardin **''1882 Gueuze black label (5%)'' **''1882 Gueuze white label (5%)'' *Hanssens ''Artisanaal Oude Gueuze (6%)'' * Lindemans ''Cuvée René Oude Gueuze (5.5%)'' *

''Natural Oude Gueuze (7.2%)'' *

''Oude Gueuze (6%)'' *Timmermans Limited Edition' Oude Gueuze (5.5%)''

Non-Pajottenland / Brussels

*Gueuzerie Tilquin - ''Oude Gueuze Tilquin à l'Ancienne'' (6.4%) *

Van Honsebrouck Van Honsebrouck is a Belgian brewery in Ingelmunster, Belgium. Founded in 1865 as Sint-Jozef Brewery, it was renamed to Brewery Van Honsebrouck in 1953. It is one of two breweries outside of Pajottenland to produce lambic beer. History The loca ...

- ''Gueuze Fond Tradition'' (5%)

Gallery of Oude Geuze producers

File:Brasserie Cantillon 04.jpg, File:Brouwerij Lindemans 4-05-2006 12-11-37.jpg, File:Boon13.jpg, File:Decam 03.jpg, File:Timmermans 25.jpg, File:Oud beersel.jpg,