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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Bellwoods Brewery$35.99
As years passed and our oak aged beer became more robust, we discovered many unique, interesting, single barrels deserving of a special release. Ba...
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Bellwoods Brewery$37.50
At its roots it's a rich, dark ale, but the time it spends in barrels with brett and bacteria harmonizes the ingredients, yielding bright levels of...
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Dainton Family Breweryfrom $10.50
Little Cam Turner, with his kettle and burner, brewing with hops, malt and rye; He thought it’d be fun, to add spices and plums, and brew himself u...
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Overtone Brewing Co.$18.99
Similar to our Blueberry & Pomegranate Sour, but we’ve doubled up on the goodies to create this Imperial Sour. Brewed with lactose, oats, and H...
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Boatrocker Brewers & Distillers$19.50
We've been developing the cultures of wild yeast and bacteria for our barrel program for many years, and through a carefully monitored solera progr...
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Bridge Road Brewers$34.99
Mayday Hills is our barrel and farmhouse beer project. These beers are fermented or aged in wooden foeders or barrels and reflect our local townshi...
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Wildflower Brewing & Blending$28.50
A balanced six barrel blend with good oak elements... spicy and creamy, very vinous. Toasty, mandarin marmalade and honeyed aromas. The palate is v...
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Wildflower Brewing & Blending$21.99
The Bright Side beers are two friend’s attempt to view the world with a glass half-full. When Bryan Martin (Ravensworth Wines) realised his vines w...
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Wildflower Brewing & Blending$21.99
The Bright Side beers are two friend’s attempt to view the world with a glass half-full. When Bryan Martin (Ravensworth Wines) realised his vines w...
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Stone & Wood$13.50
The people cried out for her return and now she rises...from the dead. The mighty Tequila Queen resumes her throne, a Counter Culture MVB, ready to...
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Wayward Brewing Cofrom $6.99
This velvety, fruity kettle sour is loaded with Australian-grown peaches and backed by creamy Madagascar Bourbon vanilla. A delicate balance of swe...
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Collective Arts Brewing$11.50
This sour has everything you'd find in your favourite morning smoothie bowl! We might not be able to say this beer is exactly healthy, but we put a...
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Collective Arts Brewing$10.99
The Pomegranate and Grapefruit sour showcases a unique balance between tart and sweet. It’s a fine line to walk, but we left it in the hands of fer...
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Collective Arts Brewing$10.99
Not only did we throw a mountain of raspberries into this brew, we backed them up with a generous amount of berry forward Mosaic and Barbe Rouge ho...
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Collective Arts Brewing$10.99
Not only did we throw a mountain of raspberries into this brew, we backed them up with a generous amount of berry forward Mosaic and Barbe Rouge ho...
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Bellwoods Brewery$35.99
Barn Owl is a series of one-off creations that are released sporadically throughout the year, just as soon as we deem the barrels ripe for the pick...
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Bellwoods Brewery$35.99
A special edition of our classic Farmhouse Saison, this version is a blend of young and old barrels ranging in age from 6 months to 1.5 years. Beca...
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Dollar Bill Brewing$20.99
Blueberry Wild Ale. Weyerman malt fermented on indigenous yeasts and spontaneous ferment barrel aged beer aged in ex-pinot barrels combined with Bu...
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Dollar Bill Brewing$34.50
Peach wild ale 70% Pilsner malt 30% Wheat Malt wild yeasts and brewers yeast Mosaic hop pellets 19 IBU Spontaneously fermented barrel aged ale rest...
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