In a universe of seemingly infinite choice, there exists a realm known only to the
adventurous palate: the world of sour beer. Here, brewers embrace the wild side of
fermentation to craft unique brews that awaken the senses. Alas, step into this acidic
wonderland where each glass tells a tale of creative experimentation and awaits those bold
enough to explore.
Before the advent of modern brewing techniques, all beer was essentially sour beer. With
no refrigeration and modern fermentation, there were many naturally occurring yeast and
bacteria present in beer during the fermentation process, resulting in a sour or funky flavour
from acid production. However, as knowledge and technology advanced, there was now a
way to make beer that wasn’t sour. But people grew to like this unintentional delight.
Since the 1970s, we have harnessed microorganisms’ ability to produce the tangy flavours
characterising this beer and as a result, intentionally brewing sour beer has exploded in
popularity across Europe and America for the past five decades.
There is a wide variety of sour beers available today courtesy of the combinations of yeast
and bacterial fermentation. Sour beer employs a combination of not only traditional
brewers yeast, saccharomyces, but other organisms such lactobacillus, acetobacter,
pediococcus, brettanomyces and the acid they produce that gives each beer its sour
characteristic and unique flavour profile.
Those new to the fantastic world that is sour beer, a fruity sour is a great entrée. There is a
delightful array of fruity flavours, leaving the choice of which one to try entirely up to your
personal preference. Take Holy Goat’s Starhammer tropical sour; fermented with
brettanomyces which produces a tart and fruity base and with the addition of starfruit, this
sour leaves tropical dance on your tastebuds and leaves you feeling refreshed.
If you’re looking for something more mild Vault City’s Pear and Elderflower Session sour is
perfect for those warmer summer days. ‘Light, floral and citrusy’ is what drinkers have
described this beer as, and classed as a session sour at 4.2 % ABV, you can enjoy multiple of
these throughout the evening.
Vault City’s Blueberry Boysenberry cobbler is a pastry sour that provides a thicker, sweeter
and creamier (residual malt sugars and lactose) experience than most sour beers, with the
acidity taking a back seat. You are carried through savoury cinnamon and aromas of
blueberry, boysenberry, crushed raisins, prunes, plums and notes of vanilla – pastry sours
much resemble a desert. Or try Yonder’s Avalanche smoothie sour with sweet cherries,
toasted coconut and a touch of decadent vanilla. Smoothie sours differ slightly from a pastry
sour in that it relies on unfermented fruit purée for their flavour and appearance, some
might say smoothie-esque.
Peeling away from the fruity palate, a Gose is a traditional sour that offers a lighter-bodied,
more salty and herbal profile. Originating from Goslar, Germany, the natural saltiness of the
aquifiers gives this traditional sour its salty character. As the popularity of Gose increases
and became more widespread, salt and coriander tends to be added into the brewing
process to give a Gose its defining profile. Dune Bug’s Lemon and Samphire Gose gives a tart
and lip-puckering finish. Pastore Brewing del mare guava kalamansi gose is also a rich,
traditional sour fermented with guava and kalamansi adding an extra tartness to it.
There you have it, a glimpse into this endless marvel of sour beer. It caters for all; beer
lovers, beer sceptics; those that are loyal, and for those that seek adventure. Where
serendipity meets innovation, there is a sour out there for everyone. So, it begs the
question, what are you waiting for?
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