Lambic in Spain?

just hop on a train up to belgium eh

 

i mean, i can see why you'd be wanting lambic though cos jerez really has no native drinks that i can think of

 

Btw, dry vinos de jerez should really appeals to most sour beer lovers. Give it a try.

 

Arte&Sana Craft Beer Cafe in Malaga might be able to help you, but I didn't bother to look for lambic as I was only interested in drinking local beers when I was there.

Do not overlook the Spanish craft beer scene. There's some really good stuff being made in Spain.

 

I was there two years ago (Barcelona, Toledo, Granada, Malaga) but the breweries I really liked were Naparbier, La Pirata and Monsieur Gordo. Lots of other solid Spanish craft breweries all over, as well. Go to Arte&Sana in Malaga, the guys who work there are helpful.

 

I can´t help but agree with some of the comments even if i write from north Spain, which is a whole another different culture from the south. Instead of getting mad looking for Cantillon in the wrong place my suggestion is just indulge yourself first into drinking some Manzanilla with a good jamón as a side dish, and come back to tell us. You might find bringing back home a couple of bottles of Fino, Oloroso, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Pedro Ximénez or the aforementioned Manzanilla, is no less exciting and surely more on point with your visit. No pun intended.

Of course you should purchase some beers if you don´t like the wines or want to bring some back home (in that shop in Malaga for example), and i fully understand it; Probably biased i would recommend you a couple of northern ones like Naparbier, Laugar and Dougall´s for the spanish “craft” scene, and you can always play it safe with good germans or belgians at any Corte Inglés store (Jeréz or Málaga) to end up the night at your place. But again i wouldn´t miss the real thing. You probably know this and already expect to have it both ways, but a reminder might be due.

A side note from Michael Jackson´s writings;

Straight Lambic. In its most natural form a draught beer, almost still, unsweetened and unblended, Lambic can seem less like a beer than some hybrid of hard cider and fino sherry. Some of the yeasts that develop during its fermentation are, indeed, very similar to those at work in sherry bodegas. Straight Lambic is hard to find. It is served in only one or two two cafés in Brussels and a handful in the area of production. Typically, it is tapped directly from the cask, and decanted from a pitcher into tumblers. In much the way that fino sherry is served in Andalusia with tapas, so Lambic is sometimes offered with snacks of sharp, soft, cheeses like the fresh-curd Plattekaas and the acidic Pottekaas, with silverskin onions, radishes, brown bread, and sometimes sausages similar to English saveloys or black pudding.

A bit more sherry with jamón, olives...and cheese.



(Cantillon) Rose de Gambrinus with the expected cheese, curiously some olives...and grapes!



Jackson also expands in other writings on Belgium beer absorbing influences (which is brilliant) from “bigger” cultures which ruled, invaded, were neighbours or just passed by Belgium, in which (leaving aside the more obvious Germany) he puts a special emphasis on the winey ones, which are France and Spain. Spain ruled Belgium for a very long time, a short walk by Brussels will tell you if you pay some attention. So just explore all that in Jeréz, try, compare and get the whole package is what we are all saying i think.

If you are keen to lambics you should also try hard ciders from north Spain (Asturias and Basque Country), which although being a different story from Jeréz they should be available at any decent medium to big store in Andalucía and might follow your tastes. If following Jackson´s definition "you would get a lambic" from mixing Asturian/Basque cider and Andalusian Fino, but they are served and consumed in dramatically different ways so i would pay respect and have each on its own.

I hope i don´t get moderated for all these apples and grapes, and wish you the best to be able to find some lambics, but in the risk of sounding pedantic that´s my slightly off topic two cents after your question (others pointed out this already, but i hope my comment helps). Enjoy your visit!

 

Wow. Based off that post and those pictures I need to visit Spain.

 

The pictures are stolen from the internet to make the point, but just come to Spain and see. The country is so diverse and the more i travel around the world the more i appreciate what i can get back home. Not precisely a beer country but the gastronomy (including other drinks and beverages) and traditions make up for it. You can also find great local and european beers in many mid to big sized cities.

As for my comment i must say the OP Sherry is in no way a substitute to Lambic, but given he is specifically visiting a place like Jeréz, renowned for its wines, it would be silly not to try. Same as if you visit La Rioja, where you are going for the reds instead of lambics. The links and similarities i mention above just add to the point and it was fun to realise. That said i also love Lambics and might open a Rose de Gambrinus i have around one of these days, so i find it great if @pirate99gs finds some during his visit.

Also to @pirate99gs, as you are coming from Quebec you might find the hot weather in Jeréz unbearable in the summer, and suggest you to make a couple of short escapes to some of the beautiful beaches and coastal towns around, and refresh yourself in the cold Atlantic waters.

 

ahhhh, cannot beat a manzanilla with a plate of jamon iberico de bellota

 

You should be able to try everything, and for the craft beers that place Arte&Sana in Malaga looks good enough from what i see in the internet. Check our recommendations for the locals and give a try to the british ones which seem available there also; The Kernel, Beavertown, Magic Rock and other europeans.

And feel free to ask any further question because i know that zone pretty well, coastal Cádiz is in fact one of my favourites parts of Spain and there is a lot of things to do. Poor but authentic, lots of history and traditions, great food, not infested by tourism like the Mediterranean coast. Enjoy!

 

Efectivamente Gavin, a good ibérico de bellota is a marvel and marriages great with Manzanilla!

 

i'll be in andalucia again in august, cannot wait!