Drink and a smoke
February 5, 2009
Lindemans Pêche Lambic: Wild Belgian peach beer
By Matthew Jackson
Photo by Cliff Despeaux.
Lindemans Pêche Lambic
5.0/5.0
Lindemans Pêche Lambic is not your typical pizza-and-beer beverage. From Belgium’s Senne River Valley, this wild-fermented wheat beer is one of the most unique and mysterious beers available, loved by infrequent drinkers and connoisseurs alike.
A number of elements contribute to the Pêche Lambic’s distinct taste, notably the use of wheat, barley and hops from small Belgium farms, as well as the fermentation process, in which Lindemans Brewery has long used wooden kegs as opposed to more modern fermentation tanks.
Lambic is further distinguished from other beers by its processing. During the mashing stage, Lambic brewers add 30 percent of — rarely used — unmalted wheat to the malted variety.
Brewers also use aged hops as opposed to the fresh ones preferred by most breweries, a choice that contributes the same preservative qualities without the bitterness found in the fresh herb.
The biggest difference, though, is that no yeast is added to the boiled wheat and hops — known as wort. Instead, the wort is transferred to a large, shallow copper vessel, which allows exposure to fresh air and the wild yeast. The fermentation rooms at Lindemans Brewery are never cleaned — the brewers want to maintain and protect their specific and unique combination of microorganisms.
After the initial fermentation, the beer is transferred into oak casks, where they mature for two years in a second, slower fermentation stage. Once properly aged, the basic lambic formula goes through different processes to produce different beers. The unusual qualities of this beer make it one of the most exciting beers on the market, with a complex family of dry aperitif beers, full-bodied dinner beers and fruity dessert beers.
Pêche Lambic is most decidedly a dessert beer. It carries a crisp fruitiness without being overly sweet, making it an especially light and refreshing beer.
Fruit lambics are made by adding fresh fruit to the basic lambic formula following the second fermentation.
The very first fruit lambics were made using sour cherries found in and around Brussels.
Today, the most common varieties are Kriek, Framboise and Pêche, made with cherries, raspberries and peaches, respectively.
The third and final fermentation stage, following the addition of the fruit, adds a spritzy carbonation, giving the finished beer a champagne-like quality.
Pêche Lambic is made with sliced peaches, contributing the peach character of the golden, cloudy beer. This beer is delicious, with a fresh peach flavor and bright, sparkling crispness. Lindemans Pêche Lambic makes for a refreshingly fruity but modestly sweet beer, best enjoyed before dinner or with dessert.
The best part about this beer is that is appropriate for all seasons. Enjoy it now or this summer with seafood, chicken, savory or sweet pastries, fruity desserts and any other fresh, light flavors.
Trader Joe’s sells Pêche Lambic, as well as Framboise and Pomme (apple).
Each of these varieties are sold in 750 mL bottles like wine. Although at $10.99 a bottle, Pêche Lambic is more expensive than most of the drinks I review, it’s certainly worth a try the next time you’re looking for something fresh and new.
Reach reporter Matt Jackson at arts@dailyuw.com.
Where to buy: smoke shops on the Ave
By Maddie Hall
Photo by Joel Shapiro.
Tom's University Smoke Shop is one of many stores on University Way that carries a wide selection of tobacco products.
With Aprie boutique occupying the space once home to the aptly named Off the Wall novelty and head shop, the Ave is left with just a few smoke shops. These remaining businesses have similarly unassuming façades, and the casual smoker might expect the insides of the stores to be as alike as their outsides. A less cursory look at three of the establishments reveals something different.
Tom’s University Smoke Shop
4140 University Way NE
Possibly the classiest choice of the three, Tom’s is a store for the Cigar Aficionado — as pinned-up covers of the magazine suggest. It’s no head shop; the blown-glass selection is unapologetically meager, and novelties are few.
A wide variety of tobacco products fill the rest of the room. Packs of cigarettes are available, of course, but this isn’t the sort of place to buy a full carton. There are several tobacco pipes available in both economic and premium price ranges.
The crowning feature of this pleasant establishment is the wide selection of premium cigars at prices generally 10 to 15 percent below the norm. The staff is very friendly but not particularly knowledgeable, so the signs under each display of cigars with price and description are especially helpful. Similar printed advice is available on the shelves of pipe tobacco.
Sam’s Smokes
4239 University Way NE
Judging by sheer assortment of merchandise (they offer everything one could possibly expect to find at a business with “smoke” in the name), Sam’s takes the cake. From coke can safes to salvia extracts and hookah pipes upwards of five feet tall, this store is a smoker’s heaven. The strict tobacco enthusiast might not be impressed by the extensive collection of glassware, some whose efficacy in holding tobacco is questionable, but for others, it’s the best place for one-stop shopping.
Notable is the diverse selection of shisha offered at Sam’s. There are more than 60 varieties when one considers brand, price, net weight and, of course, flavor. It’s enough to make any hookah smoker drool.
There are specialty pieces, too, like a pipe that looks like a pink elephant and another shaped like a scorpion.
Whether shoppers are interested in gram scales or back-issues of cigar magazines, employees here are very knowledgeable and ready to help.
University Smoke Shop
4539 University Way NE
The University Smoke Shop, marked by its “wooden Indian” beacon, has an unremarkable tobacco selection. There are plenty of cigarettes and water pipes, accompanied by a scant assortment of shisha and a lack of finer products. Employees spend their time watching episodes of People’s Court while they stand stoic behind the counter.
Something to look for here is equipment. Though the prices on simple pieces, like cutters, are a bit higher than those at Tom’s, the selection of cigar-related paraphernalia here is incomparable. Cigar holders, humidor conditioning solutions and all sorts of storage abound. An alcove at the back contains a few dozen types of premium cigars.
Smokers looking for an early afternoon field trip will enjoy spending time at each of the Ave’s three shops. After all, they are within four city blocks of each other. Those on more specific missions, however, should consult the guide above before deciding where to let their money — like their tobacco — go up in smoke.
Reach reporter Maddie Hall at arts@dailyuw.com.
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