Boon Lambic - Where Modern Meets Tradition

Brouwerij Boon is a Lambic brewery located in the town of Lembeek, near Brussels in the Senne Valley. It is one of only 12 breweries (Boon, Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, Lindemans, Timmermans, Belle-Vue, Girardin, Mort Subite, De Troch, Eylenbosch and Den Herberg) actually producing authentic spontaneously fermented Lambic beers. Boon makes some of the most authentic, complex and flavorful Lambic beers in Belgium. This is, in part, due to the fact that Boon uses traditional techniques along with modern equipment, especially designed for brewing Lambic, to produce products of the highest quality and consistency. Boon, known for producing “soft” Lambics, and Cantillon, known for “hard” Lambics, together make up the “gold standards” of Lambic beers. Boon is the only brewery to win a World Beer Cup medal for Gueuze six consecutive times.

L to R: Jos Boon, Frank Boon, Karel Boon

History

In 1900, there were roughly 3,000 Lambic breweries. Today, only a fraction of those still operate. The Boon brewery goes all the way back to 1860, when it was Brasserie Hygiëna; Hygiëna began bottling Gueuze in 1875. In 1898, the brewery was sold to Pierre Troch, who sold it to Joseph De Vits and his son Rene in 1927. Rene was an accomplished Lambic brewer and blender, but had no children to pass the brewery on to. So, in 1978, when Rene and his wife Jeanne decided to retire, the brewery was sold to Frank Boon. Frank grew the brewery to the prestigious market leader it has become. Frank retired in 2021. Today, his sons, Jos and Karel, are running the enterprise, having grown up around the brewery and gained experience working with their father.

Boon is passionate about Lambic and their reach goes well past their own line of superb beers. Boon brews Lambic for a number of third-party producers who age and blend it to their own specifications. These blenders, known as Geuzestekerijen (who make Gueuze by blending young and old Lambics acquired young from various Lambic brewers) include 3 Fonteinen, Tilquin, Van Honsebrouck, De Cam, Oud Beersel and Hanssens Artisanaal. In addition to what they get from their own cherry orchard, Boon purchases large quantities (over 200,000 kilograms) of cherries and raspberries from the Galicia region of Poland; a portion of these are sold to the Geuzestekerijen.

Brewing and Aging Boon Lambics

The De Vits beers were being brewed in the town of Halle when Frank Boon first bought the brewery, but he moved it to the town of Hondzocht. Around 1988, Boon built a new brewing hall in the town of Lembeek and released its first Lambic beer in 1990. Boon has done a good job of adapting modern brewing technology specifically to brew traditional Lambic beers. This has helped Boon’s growth by creating efficiencies and quality controls. Their current brewhouse is modern but they still use techniques like turbid mashing, long boils and spontaneous fermentation to ensure authenticity. And, most of their fermentation fouders are between 200 and 250 years old, which contributes greatly to the complexity of their beers. The many fouders are housed in four fouder warehouses and are closely monitored. Boon also has its own cooper’s workshop in order to maintain their fouders in the traditional manner. Brewing is done only during the cool months of the year – from October 15th through May 15th, although climate change is affecting the brewing schedule. Production breaks down to 48 percent Geuze, 45 percent Kriek and seven percent Framboise.

Boon Beers

Boon uses only traditional recipes and processes for all their beers. Their Lambics use 40% unmalted wheat and 60% malted barley and are based on spontaneous fermentation. Krieks (cherry) and Framboise (raspberry) are made using whole fresh fruits rather than purees, juices or syrups, and the fruit is macerated for months in the Lambic beer. A quick note: You will notice that Boon spells their blended Lambic line “Geuze,” while is the Flemish spelling. “Gueuze” is the French spelling. Their rather extensive line of Lambics includes:

Oude Geuze Boon (7.0% ABV) – their classic gueuze blend of one-, two- and three-year old Lambics.

Lambiek Boon (6.5%) is aged in oak casks for two years and has a milder, more delicate taste.

Oude Geuze Boon Black Label (6.4%) is a special blend of the most highly fermented Lambics from different casks and fouders. It is full-bodied and bone dry with old Lambic character.

Gueuze Boon Sélection (6.3%) is a specially processed Gueuze for kegs that is keg-conditioned, with lower carbonation and a still full-bodied taste. It cannot be called Oude Gueuze, which requires that the beer be packaged in bottles.

Geuze Boon Mariage Parfait (8.0%) is 100% spontaneously fermented Gueuze from barrels aged at least three years. Before bottling, five percent young Lambic is blended in to provide the sugars necessary for bottle-conditioning. Brewed in Lembeek, it will last for 20 years if properly stored.

Boon VAT 110 (8.0%) is a special bottling of Lambic from a single fouder, combined with five percent young Lambic to facilitate bottle conditioning. It exhibits the unique character of that specific fouder. The beer’s number reflects the number of the fouder from which the beer was drawn. So far, these monoblend vat releases include vats 31, 44, 77, 79, 86, 91, 92, 108, 109 and 110. If you really want to treat yourself or a good friend to a unique Lambic tasting experience, splurge on a Boon Geuze Discovery Box containing four single-vat geuzes – VATs 91, 92 108 and 110

Framboise Boon (5.0% ABV) – a traditional Lambic fruit beer fermented with raspberries and a small percentage of cherries. Served chilled.

Kriek Boon (4.0% ABV) is brewed in the traditional Lambic style of spontaneous fermentation. It is fermented with whole fresh cherries and is only 4>0% alcohol, making it a perfect summer brew. It is dry with intense cherry flavors.

Boon Kriek Mariage Parfait (8.0%) is 100% spontaneously fermented Gueuze from 6200-liter fouders. It uses 400 grams of wild cherries per liter and is considered a 100% natural “Old-Style Kriek.”

Boon Schaarbeekse Oude Kriek (6.5%) is a limited-edition “Traditional” Kriek made with Schaarbeekse cherries, which are tart cherries that are from the Lambic region. They have a large pit and less flesh than most cherries, but also have a unique flavor. There is much demand for, and a diminishing supply of, Schaarbeekse cherries. This beer is only released in certain years.

Boon Jonge Lambiek (5.0%) is a young Lambic that has been aged for less than one year. It is served at certain bars in Brussels and at the brewery. Its most common use is for blending into two- and three-year old Gueuzes.

Boon Faro (5.0%) is a young Lambic that has spices and candi sugar added. Most Faros have the sugar added at the bar to cut the sourness of the beer. 

Boon also releases some special blends and barrel-aged beers on occasion. They also do several collaboration blends with Copenhagen brewery Mikkeller.

Boon Lambics are considered to be among the finest examples of the style and will age up to 20 years or more if stored properly. They are a must-try for any fans of traditional Lambic beers.