What is "lambic"

"strong Belgian beer," 1829, related to French alambic "a still" (see alembic).

n. A mid-strength traditional Belgian/Flemish beer of (w: spontaneous fermentation).

Lambic is a type of beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium southwest of Brussels and in Brussels itself at the Cantillon Brewery. Lambic beers include Gueuze and Kriek lambic.

Unlike most beers, which are fermented with carefully cultivated strains of brewer's yeast, lambic is fermented spontaneously by being exposed to wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Zenne valley in which Brussels lies. This process gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, and cidery, usually with a sour aftertaste.

Lambic beer is widely consumed in Brussels and its environs, and frequently features in Belgian cuisine.