Gueuze
Gueuze—sometimes seen as Geuze—and pronounced “gerz,” “gerz-ah,” or “gooze,” depending on where you are, whom you ask and who’s saying it, this style of Lambic originated centuries ago in the Brussels/Senne Valley region of Belgium. It is produced by blending one-, two-, and three-year-old Lambics. One-year-old (“young”) Lambic still has fermentable sugars, while two- and three-year-old Lambics are completely fermented and have all of the sour, barnyard, horsey aroma and flavor characteristics of straight/unblended Lambic.Blending and bottle conditioning result in a complex and relatively balanced sour, estery, acidic beer, with carbonation generally present from the bottle refermentation. Some brewers untraditionally sweeten their Gueuze after fermentation to appeal to a broader consumer audience. The words, “oude,” “vieille” (old), or “tradition” on product names indicate it is a traditional Gueuze with a dry finish.
Recommended Glassware:
Color Range: 
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
| Taste/Smell | Complex, Sour, Acidic, Barnyard, Light-bodied |
| Alcohol-by-Volume (ABV) Range | 4 – 8% |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 5-20 |
| Popular Examples | Lindeman’s Gueuze Cuvée René, Oud Beersel Oude Gueuze Vieille, Cantillon Gueuze, Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze |
| Serving Temperature | Cool, 46-54° |
| Glassware | Flute, beer snifter, stemmed tulip |
| Cheese Pairing Ideas | Blue Cheese, Brie, Gorgonzola, Havarti, Swiss Cheese |
| Food Pairing Ideas | Tomato salad with vinaigrette dressing |
