Light and not too strong beer: what to drink after the New Year holidays
The New Year holidays are a time of abundant feasts, rich dishes, and, often, strong drinks. By mid-January, the body inevitably asks for a break. This does not mean that you have to cancel meetings with friends — you can simply replace strong alcohol with light and fresh beer. We will tell you which varieties are best to choose.
The lightest styles
Light beer is an excellent choice for the post-holiday period. Thanks to its moderate strength, it does not burden the digestive system and liver, allowing them to recover after the holiday stress.
What we recommend drinking in January:
— Wheat beer (witbier). It is made exclusively from natural ingredients: water, barley malt, wheat, hops, and brewer’s yeast. It has an interesting spicy taste due to the addition of orange peel and spices, as well as a slight hop bitterness, which is balanced by the sweetness of malt. Wheat varieties help to «cleanse» the taste buds after heavy, fatty foods, restore balance, and make it easier to return to a normal eating pattern.
— Belgian Blonde. This style combines the light sweetness of malt with the fruity and spicy notes (pear, apple, pepper) characteristic of Belgian yeast. There is a delicate bitterness in the aftertaste. This beer has a recognizable Belgian character, but remains surprisingly drinkable and refreshing.
— Low-alcohol ales and lagers. A simple and light beer with a soft texture, pleasant sweet malt tones, velvety hop freshness, and a harmonious aftertaste. Thanks to its low alcohol content (3–5%), it is easy on the body, and its clean taste allows it to be paired with a wide variety of foods.
Food pairing
Winter varieties with their rich flavors should be served with equally rich dishes. Low-alcohol January beer, on the other hand, requires equally light snacks. It is important that the beer does not overpower, but refreshes, complements, and emphasizes the pure flavors of the dishes.
The ideal pairing for light beer would be:
— Salads and fresh vegetables. For example, green salad with citrus dressing, eggplant salad, chicken salad, Greek salad. We recommend pairing with wheat beer or light ale.
— Fish and seafood. Baked white fish, shrimp, mussels, oysters. Belgian wheat beer is an excellent pairing for fish dishes. The slight bitterness and citrus notes in the beer create the perfect contrast to seafood.
— Light protein dishes and pasta. Omelets with herbs, steamed turkey or chicken cutlets, veal meatballs, pasta with vegetable-based sauces (such as pesto) or cream. Can be paired with any light beer — it will perfectly refresh and balance the richness and fat content of the meat.
— Appetizers and cheeses. These can be fresh goat cheeses, young brined cheeses (Adyghe, feta), bruschetta with toppings. An interesting option is to pair a light but aromatic Belgian blonde with semi-hard aged cheeses such as Gouda, where the drink will gently offset the fat content of the cheese.
Tried and tested varieties from the Lambic menu
We have compiled a selection of the lightest beers available at Lambic beer restaurants:
— St. Bernardus Wit — a traditional Belgian pale beer with a refreshing taste and sweet aroma. The taste is smooth and refreshing, with honey sweetness and hints of citrus and spices. The aftertaste is long, dry, slightly tart, with a balance of sweetness and bitterness. The aroma has nuances of malt, wheat, biscuits, citrus, cilantro, cloves, banana, and coriander.
— Brugse Zot Blonde — a light Belgian ale with a unique taste. This low-alcohol beer is brewed from two varieties of hops and four types of malt, and after fermentation, it undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. The taste is dominated by sweet fruit notes, which blend harmoniously with the bitterness of hops and nuances of yeast, allspice, spices, and herbs. The aftertaste is slightly bitter, and the aroma, in addition to fruit, yeast, and hops, has notes of chewing gum and cloves.
— Sater Premium Lager — a Belgian lager with a balanced, clean taste, in which hop bitterness harmoniously combines with the sweetness of malt. It has a delicate and pleasant aroma with hints of grain, malt, and light herbal notes.
— Eggenberg Hopfenkonig — another lager, but this one is from Austria. It has a balanced, dry, delicate taste with notes of fresh bread, cream, biscuit, and subtle herbal nuances. It is very tasty, drinkable, and refreshing.
To get the most out of a light beer, choose the right glass for it — tall and thin for wheat beer, tulip-shaped for blonde beer. And if you are unsure about your choice or want to discover something new, come to Lambic: our experts will recommend a variety that is sure to win your heart. See you after the holidays!
Brugse Zot Dubbel Beer: “The Fool from Bruges” with Belgian Character
Contents Back to the past: legend and revival Tasting characteristics Food pairings: what to serve it with Come and try it at Lambic Brugse Zot Dubbel is a unique Belgian beer, interesting not only for its taste but also for its history. Its name translates as «The Fool from Bruges», but behind the playful name lies a serious beer with a unique character — complex, rich and perfectly balanced. Let’s take a closer look at what makes it unique, how it came about and what it should be served with. Back to the past: legend and revival The history of Brugse Zot Dubbel goes back to an old city legend. In 1488, the people of Bruges rebelled against the strict rule of Emperor Maximilian of Austria and even took him prisoner. After his release, the emperor retaliated by banning city celebrations and fairs. But the locals did not give up: they organised a grand parade in honour of the monarch and asked him to allow the fairs to return, while also asking him to build a new madhouse for the city. The emperor replied with a phrase that would become legendary: «Close all the gates of Bruges, and you will have a madhouse!». Since then, the people of Bruges have been nicknamed «Brugse Zotten» — fools, or jesters from Bruges. Five centuries later, the De Halve Maan brewery, which has been run by six generations of the Maes family since 1856, decided to remind the townspeople of their history. In 2005, the brewery’s owner completed a major renovation of the brewery in the centre of Bruges and brewed a beer that became a symbol of its revival. Brugse Zot Dubbel beer quickly became a hit — first locally and then internationally. The beer received numerous prestigious awards, including gold at the Australian International Beer Awards 2013. Tasting characteristics Brugse Zot Dubbel is a dark Belgian top-fermented ale with an ABV of 7.5%. It has a beautiful hazy reddish-brown colour with a dense head. The main feature of the beer is that six special varieties of malt are used in its production, creating a unique and rich aroma. It also contains the famous Saaz hops from Žatec, which add a slightly bitter, spicy note to the beer. The flavour of the beer is complex and multilayered. You can detect notes of apple, cherry, caramel, raisins, molasses, earth, toast, nuts, pepper, clove, yeast and spices. Towards the finish, a soft but distinct hop bitterness appears, which does not overpower the palate but pleasantly completes the flavour. The aftertaste is long and warming, with nuances of liquorice and a subtle coffee note. Food pairings: what to serve it with Brugse Zot Dubbel is a complex and rich beer that requires the right food pairing. It works particularly well with: — Cheese. The beer pairs well with buttery and aged varieties such as Brie, Gouda and Swiss cheese. Those who like to experiment can try Gorgonzola. — Meat. Meat dishes, especially beef, complement the beer’s malty sweetness. — Chocolate. Dark chocolate desserts create an interesting contrast, perfectly balancing sweetness and bitterness. Come and try it at Lambic The best way to experience the uniqueness of Brugse Zot Dubbel is to try it for yourself. Visit any beer restaurant at Lambic — we will serve this beer according to all the proper traditions and recommend suitable snacks to accompany it. And if you feel like trying something else — we will suggest other interesting pairings. We look forward to welcoming you!
14 September 2026
Beer and Mussels: Which Styles Best Bring Out the Flavour of Seafood
Contents Why Mussels Pair Well with Beer Light Beers for the Delicate Flavour of Mussels Sour and Fruity Styles for Seafood What to Choose for Mussels in Sauce Mussels with Beer: Common Mistakes Come to Lambic Mussels are a versatile product. They are served with white wine, cider, and even dry vermouth, but few people know that mussels are also an excellent beer snack. Light beer such as witbier is the best way to highlight their delicate flavour, but you can also experiment by choosing fruity beers or sour lambics as an accompaniment. Below, we will take a closer look at each option and discuss the common mistakes you should avoid. Why Mussels Pair Well with Beer Mussels have a soft, delicate flavour with a slight sweetness and distinctive sea notes. Beer performs several functions here: — The bitterness of hops cleanses the palate and balances the saltiness and richness of the dish. — Carbonation (the bubbles in beer) also helps cleanse the palate and refresh the perception of flavour. — The malty base of beer, with its caramel and bready notes, enhances the natural sweetness of mussels, making it more pronounced and rounded. — Beer does not overpower the flavour of mussels, as can often happen with acidic wines or strong spirits, but gently accompanies it, prolonging the aftertaste. Light Beers for the Delicate Flavour of Mussels For classic recipes where mussels are simply stewed with onion, garlic, and herbs, light beer styles are ideal. Pilsner or light lager is a safe choice. They do not overpower the delicate flavour of the seafood, only subtly complementing it with bready notes. If you are preparing Belgian-style mussels, stewed in beer or white wine, witbier is best served as an accompaniment. Thanks to its notes of coriander and orange zest, this style adds extra character to the dish and perfectly refreshes the palate after every bite. Sour and Fruity Styles for Seafood Light beer is clear enough, but what else can you drink with mussels? Those who enjoy unconventional combinations should pay attention to sour and fruity beer styles. Lambic is a spontaneously fermented beer with a naturally pronounced tartness. It works with mussels on the same principle as lemon juice, which is often squeezed over seafood: it accentuates and highlights their natural sweetness, making the flavour brighter and cleaner. In addition, the slight tartness of lambic neutralises the saltiness of the dish. Fruit kriek is a type of lambic made with cherries, raspberries, peaches, and other fruits and berries. The beer’s berry freshness and the slightly sweet flavour of the seafood complement each other, while the overall acidity of the drink prevents the flavour from becoming cloying. Fruit krieks work especially well with raw or lightly marinated mussels — just as oysters harmonise with champagne or acidic white wine. What to Choose for Mussels in Sauce The choice of beer depends directly on the sauce in which the mussels are served: — Mussels in Roquefort sauce. Blue cheese gives the dish a rich, salty, and piquant flavour. This calls for a sufficiently full-bodied, complex beer that will not be lost against the cheese. An excellent choice is a tripel, Trappist, or abbey-style beer. — Mussels in tomato sauce. The acidity of tomatoes and the spiciness of garlic pair well with light wheat beer. If the sauce is spicy, it is better to choose a blonde ale. — Mussels in truffle and mushroom sauce. Truffle oil and cream create a rich flavour that calls for a beer without aggressive bitterness. The best choice is a light Belgian ale or abbey beer. Mussels with Beer: Common Mistakes The main mistake is serving beer that is too full-bodied with mussels, such as a rich stout or an extremely hop-forward double IPA. The high body and bitterness of these styles can overpower the delicate flavour of the seafood. If beer is used for cooking, it is best to avoid bitter styles so that the broth does not become unpleasantly astringent. It is also not recommended to serve beer too cold with a hot dish — a low temperature will make the flavour and aroma less perceptible. Come to Lambic Want to try the most interesting beer and mussel pairings? Come to any Lambic beer restaurant — our menu features both quality seafood and beers from around the world! We will help you find a harmonious pairing and do everything we can to make your gastronomic journey a memorable one. See you soon!
14 September 2026