Malt aroma & flavor
Can vary from not perceived to medium-high
All Origin Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ales
Belgian-Style Fruit Beer
Mixed / specialty · Can range from pale to dark depending on underlying Belgian style, and is often influenced by the color of added fruit
What to expect
Malt character: Can vary from not perceived to medium-high. Hop character: Low to high.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
5–50
Pale / strawBlack
Can range from pale to dark depending on underlying Belgian style, and is often influenced by the color of added fruit · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color rangeAlcohol · ABV
2.5–12.0%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
5–70
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 50 · PDF page 59. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Low to high
Perceived bitterness
Varies with underlying Belgian style
Body & mouthfeel
Varies with style
Clarity
Clear to hazy beer is acceptable
Color
Can range from pale to dark depending on underlying Belgian style, and is often influenced by the color of added fruit
Fermentation characteristics
Acidic bacterial fermentation attributes may be absent or may be present; if present, such attributes contribute to acidity and enhance fruity balance.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
Fruit aromas, ranging from subtle to intense, should be present and should not be overpowered by hop aromas. Belgian-Style Fruit Beers are fermented with traditional Belgian yeast, (Wit, Abbey, Farmhouse, etc.). Fruit or fruit extracts, used as adjuncts in either the mash, kettle, primary or secondary fermentation, provide harmonious fruit character ranging from subtle to intense. Classifying these beers can be complex. Within the framework of these guidelines, coconut is defined as a vegetable, and a beer containing coconut is categorized as Field Beer. Likewise a beer containing chili peppers is categorized as Chili Beer. Because wood vessels may be used for fermentation or aging, attributes typical of wood-aging such as vanillin, or from liquids previously aged in wood may be present. Fruited Belgian-style beers which exhibit Brettanomyces may be categorized in this style. However, a fruited Saison exhibiting Brett character should be categorized as a Specialty Saison. A fruited version of a Brett Beer is categorized as Fruited Brett Beer when such a Brett-containing beer is not based on an existing underlying Belgian beer style. A Lambic-Style fruit beer should be categorized as a Belgian-Style Fruit Lambic. Fruited Belgian-Style beers brewed with additional adjuncts could fall in this category or perhaps as Experimental Beers. Fruit beers fermented with German, British or American ale or lager yeast should be categorized as American- Style Fruit Beers or as Fruit Wheat Beers. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as fruit(s) used or processing (wood-aging for example) which influence perceived sensory outcomes.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.030-1.110 (7.6-25.9 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.006-1.030 (1.5-7.6 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 2.0%-9.5% (2.5%-12.0%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 5-70 • Color SRM (EBC) 5-50 (10-100 EBC)