Malt aroma & flavor
Malt sweetness should be absent, but sweetness of fruit may be low to high.
Belgian and French Origin Ale Styles
Belgian-Style Fruit Lambic
Ale · Often influenced by the color of added fruit
What to expect
Malt sweetness should be absent, but sweetness of fruit may be low to high.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
Color takes on hue of fruit
Color takes on hue of fruit. No numeric color range is assigned.
Pale / strawBlack
Often influenced by the color of added fruit · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Return to color discoveryAlcohol · ABV
4.0–9.0%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
10–15
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 29 · PDF page 38. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Hop aroma and flavor is not present. Cheesy hop character should not be present.
Perceived bitterness
Very low
Body & mouthfeel
Dry to full
Clarity
Cloudiness is acceptable
Color
Often influenced by the color of added fruit
Fermentation characteristics
Characteristic horsey, goaty, leathery, and phenolic aromas and flavors derived from Brettanomyces yeast are often present at moderate levels. Lactic sourness is an important part of the flavor profile, though sweetness may compromise the intensity. Fruit sourness may also be an important part of the profile. Acetic character, if present, should be minimal and well-integrated. These flavored Lambic beers may be very dry or mildly sweet. If sweetness is present, it should be balanced and not overwhelm other aspects of the beer.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
These beers, also known by the names Framboise, Kriek, Peche, Cassis, etc., are characterized by fruit aromas and flavors. Fruit Lambics, whose origin is the Brussels area of Belgium, are often simply called Fruit Lambic. Versions of this beer style made outside of the Brussels area are said to be ‘Belgian-Style Fruit Lambics’. The Belgian-style versions are made to resemble many of the beers of true origin. Historically, traditional Lambics are dry and completely attenuated, exhibiting no residual sweetness either from malt, sugar, fruit, or other sweeteners. Some versions often have a degree of sweetness contributed by fruit sugars, other sugars, or other sweeteners. See also Belgian-Style Lambic for additional background information. Vanillin and other wood-derived flavors may range from absent to present at up to low-medium levels, and, if present, are in harmony with attributes arising from fruit. Competition organizers may create subcategories which reflect groups of entries based on color, fruit, or other ingredients. 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 lambic beer upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as fruit ingredients or processing which influence perceived sensory outcomes.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.036-1.072 (9-17.5 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.008- 1.016 (2.1-4.1 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.15%-7.1% (4.0%-9.0%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 10- 15 • Color SRM (EBC) Color takes on hue of fruit (Color takes on hue of fruit EBC)