I recently returned from Belgium, and one of the best things about traveling to the holy land of beer is the abundance of lambics and Gueuzes. These are two of my favorite beer styles because they exhibit terroir like no others. Their uniqueness comes from open-air inoculation by native yeast and bacteria for spontaneous wort fermentation, resulting in a beer that tastes earthy, bright, funky and tart. For a one-of-a-kind sip of Belgium’s Senne Valley, try Lindemans Old Gueuze Cuvée René, Gueuze Tilquin à l’Ancienne and Hanssens Artisanaal Oude Gueuze.
This article appears in June 2015.