Lindemans Kriek 750ML

Lindemans Kriek 750ML is a Belgian cherry lambic beer brewed with spontaneous fermentation at 3.5% ABV in a 750ml bottle. Legendary beer critic Michael Jackson declared it one of the five best beers in the world in 1985, and it remains one of the most recognized kriek lambics on the global market.

Quick Facts: ABV: 3.5%  |  Origin: Vlezenbeek, Flemish Brabant, Belgium  |  Style: Kriek Lambic  |  Brewery: Brouwerij Lindemans

Production & Heritage

Brouwerij Lindemans, a family-owned farmhouse brewery in Vlezenbeek in the Pajottenland region of Flemish Brabant, has been producing lambic beers for over a century. Their Kriek begins with a traditional lambic base of barley malt and raw wheat, spontaneously fermented by wild yeast native to the Senne Valley. Fresh unsweetened cherry filtrate is blended with lambic aged at least one year, then fermented and macerated for up to three days. In 1979, Lindemans pioneered a pasteurization method that halted refermentation — originally developed to prevent cork-popping during overseas shipping — which created the sweeter, smoother profile that turned this Kriek into a worldwide benchmark for the style.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Orchard-fresh cherries dominate the nose immediately, followed by subtle hints of almond and a gentle floral quality. The bouquet is bright and inviting, with the fruit character reading as genuinely cherry-like rather than artificial.

Taste: The entry is effervescent and fruit-forward, with vibrant sour cherry flavor that quickly expands across the palate. Mid-palate brings a smooth, full-bodied sweetness that balances the tartness, landing somewhere between cherry jam and sour cherry candy. The carbonation provides a champagne-like mousse that lifts the fruit notes and keeps the sweetness from becoming cloying.

Finish: Medium in length with lingering cherry tartness and a clean, refreshing close. A faint yeasty earthiness emerges at the tail end, a reminder of the lambic base beneath all that fruit.

How to Drink Lindemans Kriek

Serve chilled between 4–6°C (39–43°F) in a tulip glass or flute to concentrate the cherry aromatics and showcase the ruby-red color and lively effervescence. Lindemans Kriek works beautifully as a standalone apéritif, but it also has surprising versatility in drinks. A Kriek Kir pairs it with a splash of cassis for amplified berry depth. A Berliner-style shandy blends it with lemonade for a summery refresher. It also substitutes elegantly for champagne in a Cherry Bellini, where its natural fruit and bubbles replace both the sparkling wine and the purée.

Best For

• Introducing someone to Belgian lambic beers without overwhelming tartness
• Pairing with a cheese board at a dinner party
• Celebratory toasts where a low-ABV, champagne-like alternative is welcome
• Gifting to a craft beer enthusiast exploring sour and fruit-forward styles

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Lindemans Kriek taste like? Lindemans Kriek delivers a vibrant, sweet-tart sour cherry flavor with champagne-like effervescence and a smooth, full-bodied mouthfeel. Subtle almond and floral undertones add complexity beneath the dominant fruit character.

How does Lindemans Kriek compare to Belle-Vue Kriek? Both are sweetened, pasteurized kriek lambics aimed at a broad audience, but Lindemans tends to have a slightly more pronounced cherry tartness and a fuller mousse. Belle-Vue is generally perceived as a touch sweeter with less of the underlying lambic earthiness.

Is Lindemans Kriek good for beginners? At 3.5% ABV with a fruit-forward, approachable sweetness, Lindemans Kriek is one of the most accessible entry points into the world of Belgian lambic brewing. Its flavor profile appeals to those who may not typically enjoy traditional beer.

Where is Lindemans Kriek made? Lindemans Kriek is brewed at Brouwerij Lindemans in Vlezenbeek, a small town in the Pajottenland region of Flemish Brabant, Belgium. This area west of Brussels is one of the only places in the world where the wild yeast strains essential to spontaneous lambic fermentation occur naturally.

What foods pair well with Lindemans Kriek? Dark chocolate truffles complement the cherry sweetness with bittersweet depth. Creamy brie or camembert contrast the effervescence with rich, buttery fat. Duck confit benefits from the cherry tartness cutting through its richness. Almond tarts echo the faint almond note in the beer. A simple mixed-berry dessert creates a harmonious fruit-on-fruit pairing.

What sizes does Lindemans Kriek come in? The standard format is a 750ml bottle, which is the size most widely available. Lindemans also produces some of their fruit lambics in 250ml and 375ml bottles depending on market availability.

Is Lindemans Kriek worth the price? Lindemans Kriek positions as an accessible, mid-range fruit lambic — more affordable than traditional unblended gueuze or artisanal kreiks, but a step above mass-market fruit beers in terms of production heritage and flavor complexity. For what it delivers in its category, it represents strong value.

Why Lindemans Kriek?

Lindemans Kriek occupies a rare position as both a historically significant lambic and one of the most globally distributed examples of the style. The 1979 pasteurization innovation didn't just solve a shipping problem — it defined an entire substyle of sweetened fruit lambic that introduced millions of drinkers worldwide to spontaneous fermentation. The use of genuine cherry filtrate macerated with aged lambic, rather than artificial flavoring, grounds the beer in real brewing tradition. With an 87 rating on BeerAdvocate and a Bronze medal at the 2025 World Beer Awards in the Kriek category, it continues to earn critical recognition decades after Michael Jackson singled it out among the world's finest beers.