Kriek lambic

Pour this for the friend who orders rosé and swears beer is bitter. Kriek is Belgian lambic blended with sour cherries, and bitterness barely registers: the style allows almost none. What arrives instead is red fruit, tartness and a sparkle closer to a fruit wine than a pint. Choose the bottle by how much sourness you can take. Lindemans Kriek, at 3.5 percent, is balanced between sweet and sour and makes a gentle introduction. Traditional versions such as Boon Oude Kriek are dry and properly tart, a reward for the second round. Framboise, the raspberry version, works the same magic.