3 Fonteinen
Beersel, Belgium
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen is a producer of lambic beer - a spontaneously fermented beer unique to the Zenne valley region of Belgium. Starting at the end of the 19th century as a lambic blender (i.e. buying lambic from other brewers, ageing and blending them) and later becoming a lambic brewery in 1998, they are now regarded as one of the best breweries in the world. Where once there were almost 300 lambic blenderies and breweries, there are now only a dozen producers left, of which 3 Fonteinen can be considered one of the most stubborn and traditional.
Producing lambic takes time and patience; it takes several years from the initial wort being brewed (the liquid product of the mashing process), to the bottle reaching sale. The unique flavour and acid profile are achieved from the combination of a particular blend of grains (40% wheat, 60% barley) and hops (aged, so as to keep the preservative function, but be less astringent), the long boiling time (4-5 hours) and the open and spontaneous fermentation. No yeasts or additives are added at any time and the beer is neither filtered nor pasteurized.
