Lambic Is Documented as “Alembic”

In 1787, the anonymous political pamphlet La lanterne magique du Brabant mentioned a Brussels beer called “alembic.” In a fictional scene of public celebration in Brussels, the text described fountains flowing with “faro, alembic, and punch.” The passage is the earliest written reference to a beer name now associated with Lambic that has been identified by current historical research. The name appeared in several related forms during the following decades, including “allambique,” “alambic,” and eventually “lambic.” Records from Brussels in 1794 separately listed Faro and Alembic and priced Alembic more highly, confirming that they were treated as distinct beers. The 1787 reference establishes the name’s existence, but it does not provide a recipe or independently describe the beer’s fermentation method.