Lambic (English: /ˈlæmbɪk/ LAM-bik, French: [lɑ̃bik] ⓘ; Dutch: lambiek [lɑmˈbik] ⓘ) is a type of beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium southwest of Brussels since the 13th century.

The name may stem from alembic, a type of still used for producing local spirits such as cognac and jenever (but not used in the production of lambic).

[8] In Brussels dialect, lambic produced after this traditional brewing season is referred to as bezomerd, meaning that it has had "too much summer".

[6] Climate change is further shortening this limited brewing window; in the early 1900s, lambic brewers enjoyed roughly 165 days a year in the ideal temperature range, whereas by 2018, that number has shrunk to 140.

[6] Since at least the 11th century, and probably earlier, hops have been used in beer for their natural preservative qualities and for the pleasant bitterness, flavour, and aroma they impart.

[9] Modern lambic brewers, however, try to avoid making the beer extremely hop-forward and use aged, dry hops, which have lost much of their bitterness, aroma, and flavour.

[11][12] The favourite hop used for lambic in the nineteenth century was a variety called Coigneau which was cultivated in the Aalst-Asse area in Belgium.

It forms a velo de flor of yeast that gives some protection from oxidation, in a similar way to vin jaune and sherry; the barrels are not topped up.

While those outside Belgium are likely to find bottled gueuze and fruited versions, a wider variety of styles is available to local drinkers.

Draught releases are generally regarded as either jonge (young) or oude (old), depending on the age and discretion of the brewer.

The use of meertsbier (or water) and of substandard lambic in the blend made this a cheap, light, sweet drink for everyday consumption.

Lambic may be made with the addition of raspberry (framboise), peach (pêche), blackcurrant (cassis), grape (druif), or strawberry (aardbei), as either whole fruit or syrup.

Other, rarer fruit lambic flavorings include apple (pomme), banana (banane), pineapple (ananas), apricot (abricot), plum (prune), cloudberry (plaquebière), lemon (citron), and blueberry (myrtille).