Transferred to oak barrels, the beer ferments for a year or longer, each barrel varying according to the microbes’ whims. “It is a very romantic and mystical style,” said Levi Funk, of Funk Factory Geuzeria in Madison, Wis. Mr. Funk began filling barrels in 2015 and opened a taproom last June. It was widely believed that lambic-style beers simply couldn’t be made outside Belgium. One reason is lambic’s ever-growing cult following: Hunted on pilgrimages to Belgium and bartered on internet forums, the style has inspired a devotion to spontaneous beer in general. Still, production volumes remain tiny, and the beers almost never make it to retail shelves.

Source: New York Times January 26, 2018 18:22 UTC