Sour brews gain fansSour brews gain fans

Stephen Beaumont

With the craft-beer movement in the United States now over three decades old, beer drinkers en masse have long since realized that hops, one of the four basic ingredients in beer, are bitter. The philosophy of “hops good, more hops better” has been enthusiastically embraced by craft brewers and beer drinkers alike, to the point that already-bitter styles such as India pale ale have led to even more bitter and hoppy offshoots like double or even triple IPA.


In short, “bitter” we get. So now, of course, we have sour beer. 


As odd as it might sound, beers fermented with various wild yeasts and other micro flora to the point that they have genuinely tart characters are gaining in popularity these days. For that we have principally Belgium to thank.


Although wild yeasts are considered the brewmaster’s mortal enemy in most parts of the brewing world, they still play a significant role in certain Belgian styles. Traditional wheat beers known as lambics, for example, are, in their truest form, fermented entirely by wild yeasts and conditioned in the company of other resident bacteria in wooden barrels for up to three years. The resulting brews, blends known as gueuze, are dryly tart in flavor and splendidly complex in character, like vintage Champagnes.


Other Belgian styles of ale draw similar wild yeast characteristics from the wooden barrels in which they are aged. These are most often known as old or oud Flemish brown or red ales. 


The startling way they come by their particular flavor traits is part of their appeal, said Polly Watts, owner of the Avenue Pub in New Orleans.


“It’s not just about the taste, but also the story,” Watts said. “The barrels, the aging and blending, the way the Belgians talk about the yeast as if it were a woman: People love it.”


Brewers apparently love it, too. Inspired by the Belgian breweries they have visited, many U.S. craft brewers are now also making soured beers, although usually in very small quantities and for select markets. This scarcity, said Watts, only adds to the appeal of these brews.


“I use Facebook, Twitter and e-mail to promote new arrivals on the beer list,” said Watts. “Sour beers are certainly among the ones that draw the most immediate attention.” 


Still, they do tend to be a hit-or-miss proposition, said LeAnn Hubbard, general manager of one of the two Southern California locations of Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria. 


“People who love sours know what they are looking for,” she said. “[But] I think it’s either a love or hate situation. There aren’t a lot of people who are in between.” 


That said, such beers can serve as entry-level craft beers for consumers coming from other beverage categories, said Alex P. Davis, assistant general manager at Library Alehouse in Santa Monica, Calif., where in August he hosted an 11-day Sourfest highlighting sour beers.


“Those who enjoy robust, dry red wines and acidic white wines can be brought into the craft-beer fold by a fine sour beer,” Davis said, adding that at the Library he increasingly hears “people ask servers and bartenders, ‘Do you have anything sour on tap?’”


Which reminds us that while the appeal of sour beers might remain modest for now, it is best to recall that it was only a couple of decades ago that IPA was also considered a niche style.