What the hell am I drinking? This is sour, bitter, and smells more like cheese than it does any beer I’ve had before. That was the thought that ran through my head the first time I tried Gueuze… the infamous beer from Belgium’s Senne Valley region. Gueuze is a blend consisting of multiple years of spontaneously fermented golden ale aged in oak. These unblended components are called lambic. You’d think that after that early experience I would never reconsider such beers. But... just as I forced myself to eat the olives I hated as a child because I saw adults enjoying them... I not only got used to the complex layers of flavor and aroma but I learned to love it. Lambic has this effect on people. It has created a relatively small but extremely devout following of enthusiast from around the world. Proof of this can be found in any number of facebook groups where members show off their private cellars… some bigger than my current apartment. I’ve personally seen single large format bottles of fruited lambic sell at auction for several thousand dollars. So what is it that’s so magical about this historic beer style that nearly went extinct in the years following World War II? On today’s show we speak to Jerry Franck… an academy award nominated film maker who found himself entranced by lambic and the unique cast of characters who brew and blend them. Over the last few years, Jerry and his small team have been gathering and editing footage for their upcoming documentary “Bottle Conditioned” that tells the story of lambic and its place in the world.