Fruitbeer
Fruit beers are enriched with fruit. Some well-known examples are the various types of Krieken or cherry beers and the Hoegaarden Rosée, to which raspberries are added. Belgian fruit beers have a subtle, sweet-sour, fresh fruit flavour and are usually low-alcohol, between 2.5 and 5.5%. They are therefore very accessible beers.
Many brewers today experiment with brewing techniques and with combinations of different base beers and fruit varieties. That is why at Belgian Beer Heaven you will discover a huge range of fruit beers, in which you will undoubtedly find your taste. Add your fruit-flavoured beer to your shopping basket, order easily online and enjoy our fast and 100% insured shipping.. Or contact us with your question.
This is how fruit beer is brewed
The brewing process of a fruit beer is not very different from that of a regular beer. The base is usually a wheat beer or a lambic beer, although breweries today like to experiment with other varieties. For instance, sour beers or sours are probably the most popular starting point for fruit beers at the moment. Milk stouts are also embellished with fruity notes, often derived from fresh raspberries and blackberries.
The brewer adds the fruit at the end of the brewing process, just before fermentation begins. In this way, the fruit ferments with it, converting the sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The traditional fruits are stone fruits such as cherries, peaches, apricots and plums. Apples, bananas, strawberries, raspberries and mangoes also find their way into fruit beer.
The fruit itself is still popular, but pulp, juice, syrup, flavouring or extract of the fruit is also often chosen. That addition does not re-ferment, so the result is generally quite sweet. Rosé beer, for example, has white beer as its base and the addition of red fruit in the form of juice or concentrate.
The popularity of fruit beers
Fruit beers are a specific type of Belgian beer that have established their reputation far beyond the country's borders. In recent decades, many craft breweries were forced to close their doors. In Belgium, however, exceptionally many authentic recipes have been preserved. Cherry lambic, for instance, a lambic beer with sour cherries, is internationally renowned.
Their mild, fruity and fresh taste and relatively low alcohol content make Belgian fruit beers an excellent thirst quencher, especially in spring and summer. Moreover, they are ideal for food pairing, for example with the following dishes:
- fruit salads
- light, white fish such as cod and plaice
- sweet desserts such as fruit cake and sorbet
- soft, creamy cheeses such as brie and camembert
- smoky barbecue dishes such as grilled meat and vegetables
Kriek, the most famous Belgian fruit beer
As early as the Middle Ages, the flavour of beer was enhanced with different types of fruit. At the end of the nineteenth century, farmers from the Brussels area added sour cherries or cherries from their orchards to the local brewery's lambic beer. This created and still creates cherry lambic, known today simply as Kriek, one of the most famous fruit beers.
Wide range of fruit beers at Belgian Bear Heaven
Belgian fruit beers are known and famous all over the world. It is therefore logical that Belgian Beer Heaven offers a wide range of fruit beers from renowned breweries such as Corsendonk, Haacht, Huyghe, Lindemans and Van Honsebrouck.
Have you made your choice? Then order online quickly and easily, we guarantee fast and 100% insured delivery. Do you have any questions about your choice or your order? Contact Belgian Beer Heaven, we are happy and knowledgeable to help you.