Tap 14
Liefmans Kriek
Liefmans, Oudenaarde
Cherry beer aged on real kriek cherries, deep, tart and vinous.
Taste profile
Legend has it
Liefmans comes from Oudenaarde, and Oudenaarde has a legend about beer. When Emperor Charles V visited in the 16th century, the town watchman, Hanske de Krijger, was on the lookout at the town hall. But Hanske had drunk too much Oudenaarde beer, fell asleep and never saw the emperor coming. Charles is said to have told the town to get its watchman spectacles, which is why they are in Oudenaarde's coat of arms. In fact they are a Gothic A, for Audenaerde.
Beer stories travel from brewery to bar to guest, and rarely shrink on the way.
Interesting facts
- The recipe
- A blend of 55% Oud Bruin and 45% cherry beer, with 13 kilos of fresh cherries per hectolitre. It matures for 18 months to 3 years before blending.
- Rosa Merckx
- She started as a trilingual secretary in 1946 and took over in 1972 as Belgium's first official female brewmaster. Under her, the kriek became an international success.
- Rescued
- Liefmans went bankrupt in 2007 and was bought by Duvel Moortgat in 2008. The tradition goes back to 1679.
Especially good with
Chocolate waffle, Belgian truffle.