Hanssens Artisanaal is a small family blendery that has been quietly respected among lambic obsessives for producing some of the most traditional, unsweetened fruit lambics still available. Oudbeitje adds fresh strawberries to their lambic base, in far smaller quantities and with none of the added sugar that defines most commercial fruit lambics, resulting in a beer that tastes far more like sour beer than fruit soda.
Hanssens Oudbeitje at a glance
| Style | Lambic with fruit (strawberry) |
| ABV | 6% |
| Calories | Around 165 per 12 fl oz |
| Origin | Hanssens Artisanaal, Dworp, Belgium |
| Ingredients | Blended lambic, fresh strawberries, wild yeast and bacteria |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Gluten free | No, contains barley and wheat |
| Typical price | Around $16 to $24 for a 375ml bottle where available |
How it tastes, by the numbers
Oudbeitje keeps the tartness and funk of traditional lambic front and centre, using strawberry as an accent rather than the main event.
The full review
It pours a straw colour with reddish hints from the strawberries, closer to a sparkling cider than a typical beer in appearance. The aroma is sweet at first, with ripe strawberry over the familiar rhubarb-like sourness of Hanssens’ house lambic, though the fruit is used as an accent rather than the dominant flavour.
The palate opens sweet before the characteristic tart, rhubarb-forward sourness of the base lambic reveals itself, with hints of wood and dry tannin from barrel ageing. Sour cherry-like acidity and jammy berry character carry through a long, drying finish that never tips into cloying fruit-soda territory.
This is fruit lambic done the hard way: real strawberries, minimal sweetening, and a base beer complex enough to stand on its own. It is a good way to see how traditional lambic producers handle fruit differently from mainstream American fruited sours.
Real strawberries and real funk, with none of the syrupy sweetness that defines most commercial fruit lambic.
- A genuinely traditional fruit lambic with minimal added sugar
- Complex base beer that holds up without leaning on the fruit
- Rare and interesting for collectors of small Belgian blenders
- Very limited production and availability
- Fruit character is subtle rather than bold, which can surprise drinkers expecting a sweeter beer
- Batch consistency varies given the small scale
Who it is for
Lambic collectors and drinkers who want to see fruit beer done in the most traditional way possible, without the syrupy sweetness of mainstream fruited sours.
Hanssens Oudbeitje FAQs
What does Hanssens Oudbeitje taste like?
Sweet strawberry aroma over a tart, rhubarb-like sourness, with wood and dry tannin from barrel ageing and a long, drying finish rather than cloying sweetness.
How strong is Hanssens Oudbeitje?
6% ABV.
Is Oudbeitje very sweet?
No, it opens with mild sweetness from the strawberries but the underlying lambic sourness quickly takes over, unlike most mainstream fruited sours.
Is Hanssens Oudbeitje gluten free?
No, it is made with barley and wheat.
Is Hanssens a brewery or a blender?
Hanssens Artisanaal is a small family blendery, working with lambic sourced from other producers and aged and blended in-house, similar to how 3 Fonteinen and Tilquin operate.
Why is Hanssens Oudbeitje hard to find?
It is produced in small quantities by a small family operation, and most of the output goes to specialist Belgian beer importers rather than wide retail distribution.
Where to find it
Sold through specialist Belgian beer importers and dedicated lambic-focused bottle shops; production is small so stock is inconsistent.
The verdict
Hanssens Oudbeitje shows how fruit lambic should be made: real strawberries, minimal sweetening, and a complex base beer underneath. A distinctive four point one out of five.
