Framboise

A bottle of Lindeman's Framboise Lambic.

Framboise (from the French word for raspberry) or Frambozen/Framboos (Flemish) is a Belgian lambic beer that is fermented using raspberries.

Traditionally, this style has been made with either a base of lambic or Flemish brown ale to which raspberries are added. A lambic is a sour Belgian beer, fermented spontaneously with airborne yeast native to Brussels. When made from a lambic base, it is very sour and very dry. The berries are left in for a period of several months, causing a refermentation of the additional sugar. Typically no sugar will be left so there will be a fruit flavour without sweetness. There will be a further maturation process after the berries are removed.

More recently, some lambic brewers have added sugar to the final product of their fruit beers, in order to make them less intense and more approachable to a wider audience. They also use raspberry juice rather than whole berries and are matured for much shorter periods.

Widely available in bars and pubs, these unique beers are usually served in a small glass that resembles a champagne class, only shorter. It has a sweet taste, with an aftertaste of "weak beer". This style is gradually becoming more common outside of Belgium; in many "posh" bars in Britain, you can now find raspberry and cherry flavoured-beer available in bottles, and occasionally even on tap. Some Belgian restaurants in North American and Europe also serve this beer. It can also be commonly found in supermakets located in England, such as Sainsbury, ASDA, or Oddbins.

See also

*Kriek, which uses cherries instead of raspberries.