Gueuze

Gueuze
Brouwerij Lindemans' Oude Gueuze Cuvée René
Country of origin	Belgium (Zenne Valley, Pajottenland)
Yeast type	Spontaneous fermentation
Alcohol by volume	5-9%[1]
Malt percentage	60-70%

Gueuze (French: [ɡøz] ^ⓘ; Dutch: geuze [ˈɣøːzə] ^ⓘ) is a type of lambic, a Belgian beer. It is made by blending young (1-year-old) and old (2- to 3-year-old) lambics, which is bottled for a second fermentation. Because the young lambics are not fully fermented, the blended beer contains fermentable sugars, 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 yeasts that are specific to lambic-style beers give gueuze a dry, cider-like, musty, sour, acetic acid, lactic acid taste. Many describe the taste as sour and "barnyard-like". Gueuze is typically highly carbonated, with carbonation levels ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 volumes of carbon dioxide.^[2] Because of its carbonation, gueuze is sometimes called "Brussels Champagne".

In modern times, some brewers have added sweeteners such as aspartame 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."^[3]

Traditionally, gueuze is served in champagne bottles, which hold either 375 or 750 millilitres (12+3⁄4 or 25+1⁄4 US fl oz). Traditionally, gueuze, and the lambics from which it is made, has been produced in the area known as Pajottenland 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 (EU) designation 'TSG' (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) in 1997/98, which prescribes a registered production method and product specifications for product called "gueuze" if produced or sold in the EU, but does not have the same legally protected status as a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication.^[4]