Sorta Random Sunday: My Love for Sour Beer

Ok, after a break last week to review the newly announced Biden student debt plan, Sorta Random Sunday is back! And this one is about…sour beer?

I’m actually not a huge beer drinker. I even have to admit that I’m not a fan of IPAs which seem to have become the beer drinker’s beer choice these days. But a few years ago at a bar in NYC, I stumbled upon a sour beer on a drink menu.

Being curious I tried it despite the not-so appetizing name. And retrospectively I realize that I was being even more brave because it wasn’t even a fruited sour beer. It was just a plain old sour beer.

Well, as fate would have it, I loved it. And I’ve been a big fan ever since. And now I am sharing it with you…so there you go…

What actually is sour beer? Beer gone bad?

No! Sour beers are beers crafted and brewed to be intentionally acidic, sour, or tart.

That may sound weird to a lot of people. But it…is…so…good.

If you’ve never tried it, give it a shot. Start with a mild, fruit flavored one. And go from there.

What kinds of sour beer are there?

They come in a lot of varieties.

Broadly, Gose is sour beer from Germany. There are Berliner Weisse’s which are a maybe milder variety from, you guessed it, Berlin. Lambic varietals are from Brussels. America has American wild ales.

How is it made?

Sour beers intentionally allow wild yeast strains or bacteria into the brew, something not usually done with other beers. These wild strains are allowed in through the barrels or during the cooling of the wort in a coolship open to the outside air. Yeah, I don’t actually really know or understand what this means. But that’s how it’s done I guess?

Another method for making the beer “sour” is adding fruit, which adds organic acids like citric acid. Acid can also be directly added to beer or added by the use of excessive amounts of acidulated malt.

When is the best time for one?

Sour beers tend to be light but also fairly “sticky.” This is not a technical term but one I just made up. They can kind of leave you with a sticky mouth…like if you drink a lot of juice.

Because of this, I actually don’t think sour beers are the best for quenching thirst or going for that crisp refreshing feeling. Like if it’s really hot outside.

Being from Buffalo, I actually think sour beer is a really great fall and winter beer. Or at least that’s my favorite time for it. Or maybe a cool summer evening…

Let’s finish up with my favorites.

My top 5 favorite sour beers

1. Strawberry milkshake IPA (also a sour) by Big Ditch Brewery
2. Sour Sea Quench Ale by Dogfish Head
3. Super Eight Super Gose by Dogfish Head
4. Mixed Berry Sour by Resurrgence Brewery
5. Flo-Mingo by 12 Gates Brewery

What do you think? Let me know what your favorite beers or drinks are! Have you tried sour beer? Am I missing something about IPAs? Let me know in the comments below!