Sour Beer
Sour has an intentionally acidic, tart or sour taste. The most common sour beer styles are Belgian: lambics, gueuze and Flanders red ale.
At one time, all beers were sour to some degree. As pure yeast cultures were not available, the starter used from one batch to another usually contained some wild yeast and bacteria. Unlike modern brewing, which is done in a sterile environment to guard against the intrusion of wild yeast, sour beers are made by intentionally allowing wild yeast strains or bacteria into the brew. Traditionally, Belgian brewers allowed wild yeast to enter the brew naturally through the barrels or during the cooling of the wort in a Koelschip open to the outside air – an unpredictable process that many modern brewers avoid.
The most common agents used to intentionally sour beer are Lactobacillus, Brettanomyces and Pediococcus. Another method for achieving a tart flavor is adding fruit during the aging process to spur a secondary fermentation or contribute microbes present on the fruit's skin.
Because of the uncertainty involved in using wild yeast, the sour beer brewing process is extremely unpredictable. The beer takes months to ferment and can take years to mature.
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Urbanaut Brewing Co$10.50
Charge your glass - this beer is a toast to hot days and late sunsets, with sweet notes of tropical fruit punch followed by a juicy, citrus tartnes...
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Duncan's Brewing$12.99
A classic Tiki inspired sorbet sour. Lime juice, tangerine, blood orange, molasses, and orgeat almond syrup. All gently dry hopped with Cascade. *...
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Mr Banks Brewing Co$14.99
Tart and Creamy kettle sour conditioned on blackberry and vanilla bean with our biggest fruiting on a beer to date. Deep mauve in colour this is th...
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Modern Times Beer$9.99
Fruitlands is tart, fruity, and frighteningly delicious. The sour, salty base beer lays the funky refreshment, while generous additions of cherries...
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London Beer Factoryfrom $6.50
Born on the winter solstice in December and re-brewed around the summer solstice, this classic Berliner Weisse coincides with two solar phenomenons...
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Dainton Family Breweryfrom $6.50
The Peaches have had enough. They are sour. Salty that, for too long, they have just been another pantry filler. Just another pavlova topping. They...
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Bonehead Brewingfrom $7.99
This tasty sour is pumped full of mandarina bavaria, citra and mosiac hops. It's a mixed culture sour, with big juicy vibes and scintillating sourn...
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Moon Dog$11.50
Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-DA! This Conga Line is getting goin' folks! get in line and get movin' to the pineapple-y-passion-fruit-y-ice-cream-y-hoppy-lacto...
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Bridge Road Brewers$34.99
The latest from our ongoing Mayday Hills project is here; and it’s a barrel-aged, Wild Red Ale. Burnt amber in colour, it combines the flint-like ...
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Hawkers Beerfrom $8.50
A trans-Tasman collaboration between three of Australia and New Zealand’s most beloved breweries has produced this zingy sour raspberry IPA. We’ve ...
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Parish Brewing Co.$14.99
Inspired by those delicious morning fruit parfaits. Lactose sugar and Papua New Guinea vanilla beans provide a creamy canvas for layers of blueberr...
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Humble Forager$16.99
Inspired by those delicious morning fruit parfaits. Lactose sugar and Papua New Guinea vanilla beans provide a creamy canvas for layers of blueberr...
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Humble Forager$17.99
This painkiller inspired imperial sour ale is loaded with fresh pineapple and orange juices, then dosed with fresh coconut before a gentle dusting ...
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Untitled Art$17.99
Kettle sour brewed with 10,000 pounds of fruit with strawberry, then a dash of lemon juice for a citric blast and passionfruit to round the whole t...
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BentSpoke Brewing Companyfrom $7.50
Toffee malty notes; plum, raisin and prune fruity esters; simple tannins and lacto and acetic acids create a very complex and “isolating” beer, the...
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Deeds Brewing$13.50
Just as the Romans did in ancient times, we honour the Goddess Pomona in the month of August. Not with her annual festival or an ornamental pruning...
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Stillwater Artisanalfrom $7.99
A lightly dry-hopped sour ale w/ Italian plum. Ripe & tart fruit w/ overtones of melon & fresh grass.brewed with Molasses and Musc...
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Belching Beaver Breweryfrom $10.50
Dry hopped barrel-aged sour. This tart and funky sour, aged in foeders for 9 months then dry hopped with Strata and Citra hops to give it a zesty l...
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Moon Dogfrom $6.50
Loaded with juicy blackberries, toasty cinnamon, a lil' bit of apple and smooth vanilla, all with a gentle tartness to boot - it's a crumble in a ...
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