Sixpack Sez

Feb. 09, 2007 | A sweet lambic for your sweetie

VALENTINE'S DAY is right around the corner, and though I've warned you guys over the years, I want to remind you again that this is not one of your traditional beer-pounding holidays.

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Take a look at what they're drinking these days. Suddenly, it seems, happy hour patrons in mainstream taverns are sucking down tall flutes of one of the most obscure, fascinating varieties of beer in the world. This aromatic, pinkish-red brew is Lindemans Framboise, a raspberry-flavored lambic.

Now, lambic - true lambic - is made in just a few square miles surrounding the Senne River near Brussels, Belgium. That's important because it's the atmosphere of the region that makes the beer so distinct.

While other beer gets controlled doses of yeast to kick of fermentation, lambic is infected by the yeast that lives naturally in the nooks and crannies around the brewery. After it's boiled, the wort (the liquid that ultimately becomes beer) is cooled overnight in a large, shallow copper pan called a coolship. That's when the yeast - a variety known as Brettanomyces bruxellensis - does its job, a process called spontaneous fermentation.

Typically, the beer picks up a peculiar farmhouse aroma. You might kindly describe raw lambic as having the bouquet of a vintage pair of Nikes. Lindemans Framboise - as with other brands - covers up the funk with fruit, in this case raspberries.

I offer that quick science lesson only to underscore how weird it is to see people belly up to the bar and happily order $7 glasses of a French-sounding beer when there's a perfectly functioning Coors Light tap handle just over there.

Craig Hartinger, a representative of Merchant du Vin, the beer's Washington state-based importer, figures many people who enjoy Lindemans don't know the backstory about the yeast. "They just think it tastes great," he said.

It's true - this is one of those beers that raises eyebrows, particularly among those who profess to hate beer. It's just 4 percent alcohol and it's quite sweet. So bar owners in the city and beyond are stocking it as an alternative to lagers and strong ales.

Kildare's, the chain of Irish-themed bars, runs it on tap for those who aren't into the usual Guinness or Yuengling. Brownie's on 2nd Street in Old City pours it side-by-side with regional microbrews.

Out in Euclid, Ohio, the locals talk about how one of the reg'lars at Skinny's Cafe, a firefighter, demanded that the bar stock bottles of the lambic, or he couldn't return. Seems his wife was tired of sitting around all night without something to drink.

"She loved it," said manager Tom Bilbstein. "Then a few others tried it, and now we go through three or four cases of it every week. Even the guys are drinking it...

"I mean, it's definitely not normal beer. You can't sit down and drink 9,000 of them. I'd say it's the perfect dessert beer, only we don't actually offer any desserts here."

Now, a lot of lambic lovers turn their nose up at Lindemans because, as I said, it's sweet. There are other lambic varieties, notably from Cantillon and Boon, that are far drier, more acidic, perhaps more traditional. They're unique, complex, and I urge you to give them a try.

But if you're stuck Valentine's Day with a sweetheart who doesn't like beer, try Lindemans Framboise.

I guarantee he'll love it.

Beer radar

Heads up: There are a bunch of big-time beer events coming down the pike:

Tonight: Victory Love Fest, a beery Olympics competition for couples at Victory Brewing (420 Acorn Lane, Downingtown). Free admission. Info: victorybeer.com.

Feb. 24: Beats, Brews & BBQ, a beer festival with live music at World Café Live (3025 Walnut St., University City ). Beer pours: 1-5 p.m., with a noon VIP tasting. $30/$35 door. Info: worldcafelive.com.

March 3: Philly Craft Beer Fest, a new festival with more than 45 small breweries, at the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal (5100 S. Broad St., South Philly). I'll be leading a forum of area brewers in the afternoon. Sessions: Noon, 6 p.m. $35/$40 door. Info: phillycraftbeerfest.com.

March 10: 17th annual Michael Jackson Beer Tasting, University of Pennsylvania Museum (3260 South St., University City). Sessions: 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6 p.m. $45/$40 members. Info: 215-898-3900.

April 1: The Brewer's Plate, gourmet food and craft beer showcase at Reading Terminal Market, 12th and Arch streets. Beer pours: 5-8 p.m. $50. Info: whitedogcafefoundation.org.