The Lambic Basket

About

Lambic Baskets (Lambic.Info)

"Because many lambics are generally stored on their side, the use of lambic baskets is common when serving bottles recently pulled from the cellar. Traditional, unfiltered lambic contains sediment. As lambic matures on its side in cellars, this sediment accumulates on the side of the bottle. Getting a clean pour from the bottle without sediment is preferable, and the basket helps prevent this.

Many of the baskets used for serving lambic are originally meant for serving wine. They are traditionally made of wicker and hold the bottle in a slightly upright angle of around 20-23 degrees. The benefit is two-fold. First, these baskets help to keep the bottle at an angle that encourages the sediment to rest in place without being disturbed by being moved to a completely vertical position. Second, the baskets serves as a way to resettle any yeast that is leftover from the bottle not being poured out completely the first time. Lambic baskets are generally used for 75cl bottles, though 37,5cl and 1.5-liter baskets do exist."

James Tweed

James is a Wisconsin native residing in Wyoming. He is a long time beer snob and lambic enthusiast. In winter of 2018/2019 he came up with the idea of making lambic baskets as a past time. He found a mentor that showed him the basics, but far from a finished product. Over the next year James geeked out trying to make the best basket possible. While he's no master at the craft of basket weaving, he has gotten very good at making his lambic baskets over the years. James is a non-embedded basket weaver, he does this for the love of lambic. He has one of the largest known collections of serving baskets for lambic (and wine) in the world.

FAQ

What are your baskets made of?
Most lambic (and wine) baskets are woven of willow, rattan, or metal. I use rattan commonly referred to as basket reed. Rattan is a woody, vine-like palm plant that grows in warm tropical environments.

How often do you make baskets?
Making baskets is a past time, I have a day job. I work on baskets in the evenings as time permits. Depending upon they style, it can take me 3-6 hours to complete one basket. It can take me months to complete enough baskets for a release.

What size baskets do you make?
I make 750ml and 375ml lambic baskets, and the occasional 1.5L. My baskets are fitted and sized to craddle bottles of lambic from Belgian brewers and blenders. While there are subtle differences in bottle sizes from the states, most standard 75/37cl bottles will fit. I also occasionally make mead baskets that fit 375ml semi-Bordeaux and Belissima bottles.

How do I buy a basket?
I do an annual release usually in late spring. I weave during the cooler winter months and take summers off. Subscribe to the email list and get notifed about upcoming sales.

Shipping and restrictions
I use UPS to ship baskets domestically in the continental United States; average cost is $15. I ship worldwide on select releases. I use USPS Priority International to ship overseas; average cost to Europe is $60. Please note on shipping overseas — as these packages are insured, the full retail value will be listed on the customs form. You are responsible for any import duties; this can be quite expensive in some countries. If this doesn't sit well for you, use a proxy in the US, and then have your proxy ship your basket to you.

Payment
All payments are made using Paypal Goods and Services. If you have the opportunity to purchase a basket, you will be emailed an invoice thru Paypal.

Baskets

I currently weave three different styles of wicker baskets for serving lambic and gueuze; the OG, the Klassiek, and the Oude Stijl. All baskets are woven of rattan and designed to fit bottles securely and at the right angle. Pour in confidence.

The OG was my first basket (2019). It was inspired from my very first lambic basket that was gifted to me from a friend in Antwerpen. The OG has a side handle and woven bottom. Baskets with woven bottoms take a significant amount of more time to construct vs. a basket with a wooden base, making them more expensive but aesthetically nicer. The side handle design is based on the most traditional style of pouring baskets that can be observed in old photos, advertising, and literature. The OG is designed for those that want to indulge; it is the luxury basket of the collection.

The Klassiek was my second basket (2021). It was inspired from the serving baskets used by Thomas Debelder at 3 Fonteinen Restaurant in Beersel. The Klassiek has top handle and a wooden bottom. It is a much simpler basket than the OG and takes a significant less amount of time to construct. The Klassiek was designed for those on a budget that wanted something dependable.

The Oude Stijl is the newest addition to the collection (2023). I was inspired to make Raf Souvereyns from Bokke some new baskets. The Oude Stijl has a T-top handle and wooden bottom, it falls somewhere between an OG and Klassiek. The T-top handle design is based on a traditional style of pouring baskets which can be observed in old photos, advertising, and literature. The Oude Stijl is the work horse of the fleet and is designed for heavy use.

|OG| Lambic Baskets
Sizes: 375ml, 750ml, and 1.5L
Colors: Maple, Walnut, Oak
Style: Side Handle, Woven Bottom

|Klassiek| Lambic Baskets
Sizes: 750ml
Colors: Maple, Walnut, Oak, Driftwood
Style: Top Handle, Wooden Bottom

|Oude Stijl| Lambic Baskets
Sizes: 750ml
Colors: Maple, Walnut, Oak
Style: T-top Handle, Wooden Bottom

Release

Thank you for taking interest in my baskets. As many of you know this is a past time, I work on baskets as time permits. I apologize that I’m only capable of making a limited amount every year. 2023 and 2024 have been pivotal years in my life, which has had a direct effect on the amount of time that I’ve been able to spend in my shop. This will be the only release of 2024. Thank you for your continued support. Cheers, James

(6) 750ml OG lambic baskets will be sold via lottery. Baskets are $185 + shipping. Lottery registration is open from Friday June 28th at 9am (MST) until Tuesday July 2nd, 9pm (MST). Winners will be notified by invoice Wednesday July 3rd.

(1) 750ml + 375ml OG lambic basket set will be sold as via charity raffle. Donations are open from Friday June 28, 9am (MST) until Tuesday July 2nd, 9pm (MST). The live draw will take place Wednesday July 3rd via Instagram. 100% proceeds will benefit the Downtown Clinic in Laramie, WY. The Downtown Clinic provides high-quality integrated healthcare to uninsured individuals experiencing poverty.

(3) 750ml OG lambic baskets will be sold via auction. These baskets were hand selected as the best out of the batch. 24-hour auctions will take place via Instagram.

All baskets are unfinished, winners choose between maple, oak, or walnut. Visit the Baskets page on the website to see examples.

Lottery registration is open from Friday June 28th, 9am (MST) until Tuesday July 2nd, 9pm (MST). Winners will be notified by invoice Wednesday July 3rd. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON; DO NOT ENTER MULTIPLE TIMES; DO NOT REGISTER YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER. Those that can't follow the rules will be disqualified. Winners have the option to purchase a Lambic Basket 30cl geuze tumbler for an additional $10.

Charity raffle for baskets #300 + #301. 100% proceeds will benefit the Downtown Clinic in Laramie, WY. Donations are open from Friday June 28, 9am (MST) until Tuesday July 2nd, 9pm (MST). Every $5 donation, gives you one entry into the raffle. There is no limit on entries (i.e., $5 = 1 entry, $20 = 4 entries, $100 = 20 entries). All donations will be made directly to The Lambic Basket via the Paypal link below. You do not need a Paypal account to make a donation, credit/bank cards are accepted. You will receive an email confirmation of your donation on Wednesday July 3rd before the live drawing. You will be assigned a # for each entry. Random.org will be used to draw the winner. The list of names will be fed into the site, randomized 9 times, and a final 10th randomization will determine the winner; the first name on the list wins the baskets. The live draw will take place Wednesday July 3rd via Instagram. In 2021, we raised $500 for charity. In 2022, we raised $1000 for charity. Hoping we can raise over $1000 in 2024! For more info on the Downtown Clinic visit downtownclinic.org

IMPORTANT – The auction closes when I call it according to my watch, don’t wait until the last few seconds to increase a bid as you may lose out. I will reply to any bid made within the last 5 minutes of the running auction with the revised closing popcorn time (e.g., High bid! 5-minute popcorn, auction closes at X:XX).

I will ship worldwide for this release. Baskets are shipped domestically via UPS Ground. Baskets are shipped overseas via USPS Priority International. Average shipping cost within the US is $15, average shipping cost to Europe is $60.

IMPORTANT – Please note on shipping overseas, as these packages are insured, the full retail value will be listed on the customs form. You are responsible for any import duties; this can be quite expensive in some countries. If this doesn't sit well for you, use a proxy in the US, and then have your proxy ship your basket to you.

All payments are made using Paypal Goods and Services. If you have the opportunity to purchase a basket, you will be emailed an invoice thru Paypal. Payment is required within 24 hours or you forfeit the basket and it will be resold, no exceptions.

Connect

· Subscribe to the list and get notified about releases

· Inquire at info@thelambicbasket.com

· Follow on Instagram

· Like on Facebook

· Join the Facebook group: Lambic and Wine Baskets

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