LAMBIC: ROOTED IN PLACE AND TRADITION
With roots dating back to the 13th century, lambic is a style of beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium, a fertile agricultural area in the Zenne and Dendre river valley, southwest of Brussels. Traditional lambic is fermented naturally through exposure to microorganisms and wild yeast native to this region. There is perhaps no style of beer more closely related to place and environment than lambic.
Inspired by that centuries-old tradition, here at Third Window we brew ales that rely on the wild yeasts and bacteria unique to Los Olivos and Santa Barbara County for fermentation. Just as lambic is deeply expressive of Belgium, our lambic-style ales are expressive of this place we call home—shaped by local microflora through spontaneous fermentation, and by the grains and hops we grow in the fields surrounding the barn where fermentation begins.
The land that shapes our lambic-style ales.
OUR LAMBIC-STYLE ALE BEGINS ITS JOURNEY
The brewing process begins with a turbid mash of unmalted wheat and two-row barley, grown here on the ranch where our family has lived for four generations. This labor-intensive method preserves complex sugars, giving wild yeast something to feed on during the long fermentation ahead.
Winter is essential. When temperatures drop below 42℉, the cold night air sets the stage for spontaneous fermentation, guiding the native yeast and bacteria that will bring this beer to life.
The wort is transferred from the brewery to the ranch and pumped into a shallow tank called a koelship. Exposed to the winter air, it cools rapidly, gathering naturally occurring microorganisms from the farm and surrounding fields. Hops, also grown on site, are added before cooling to support a healthy balance of microflora. Fermentation begins on its own, shaped entirely by the ecology of this place.
Aged hops go in: oxidized to soften bitterness, support long fermentation, and bring funky, earthy character.
MÉTHODE TRADITIONNELLE: HONORING A TIME-HONORED PROCESS
Because true lambic can only come from Belgium’s Pajottenland region, beers brewed elsewhere using the same traditional methods are referred to as Méthode Traditionnelle. The term was established to honor and protect the cultural heritage of lambic while identifying beers produced outside Belgium that follow the same process—turbid mash, long boil, aged hops, koelship, and spontaneous fermentation.
When you see the “MT” logo on our labels, it signifies that our beer is brewed in this tradition—yet unlike its predecessors in Belgium, ours is rooted here in Los Olivos.
Méthode Traditionnelle markings: MT aged one year and MT three-year blend, in the tradition of gueuze.
FROM BARREL TO BOTTLE: AN EXPRESSION OF THIS PLACE
We’ve brewed several batches of this base Méthode Traditionnelle so far this winter. Each now rests quietly in oak barrels, where it will age for one to three years.
What sits in barrels today is only the beginning. In time, each barrel will be evaluated and blended—young and old beers layered together to create balance and complexity, much like traditional lambic producers have done for centuries. Some barrels may remain untouched. Others may continue aging on locally grown fruit or botanicals from the farm and surrounding valley.
Exactly how these beers will come together remains to be seen—but what we know already is that they are shaped by the microflora, climate, and ecology of Los Olivos. This beer could only be made here.
The morning after: the beer is racked from the koelship into oak barrels, beginning its long journey of fermentation shaped by the microflora of Los Olivos.