For centuries, the legal definition of lambic beer or geuze stipulated that the beer must result from 100% spontaneous fermentation. However that was amended in 1993 by a law that was sponsored by Interbrew, owners of Belle Vue brewery, and many, many others including Stella Artois (a.k.a batteur de femme). Interbrew was absorbed into Inbev which in turn merged with Anheuser-Busch, makers of the infamous imitator of the Czech pilsener beer which has to be called Budvar because the rights to the Budweiser name in the U.S.A. and several other countries belong to Anheuser-Busch who have managed to obtain a perverse legal ruling in their favour (best justice that money can buy).
Frank Boon, together with three other lambic brewers, waged a 10-year battle to gain protection of traditional lambic beers, and in 1997 they succeeded – the European law providing protection of Geuze (lambic) “GTS” was passed, protecting traditional methods of brewing the beer. Under this protection, the word “oude” meaning, “old style,” in Flemish is reserved strictly for 100% spontaneous fermented geuze.
The Interbrew-sponsored law permits the term ”lambic” to be applied to blended beers that have a lambic content of only 25%. So, if you want genuine lambic beer, look for the word “oude” on the label.
The beer Shop stocks a range of genuine lambic beers from the most respected producers including Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, Liefman. and, of course, Frank Boon.
boon oude geuze
