What Styles Of Craft Beer Are Sour?
If you drink craft beer with friends, you may hear some people remark that they like sour beers. Indeed, sour beers have become quite common in the craft beer scene over the past few years. But if you visit a beer store and look for beers labeled "sour" you may not find a lot. That's because sour beer is not so much a beer style in and of itself, but rather a group of beer styles with their own name and unique characteristics. Here are some of the best-known styles of beer that fall into the "sour" category.
Gose
Gose is a really old, traditional style of beer hailing from Germany. It is different from most other beer styles in that it is brewed with just a touch of salt. This doesn't really make the beer taste salty, per se, but it does make the beer's flavors really stand out. Gose is brewed with malted wheat and malted barley, but its sour flavor actually comes from the lactobacillus bacteria introduced during the brewing process. Many gose beers are also hopped, but the hops aren't strong like they would be in an IPA. Goses tend to have pretty low alcohol content, so they're great for casual sipping and nights when you want to take it easy.
American Wild Ale
Many sour beers brewed in the United States are actually American wild ales. These beers are unique in that they are fermented using whatever yeast is found naturally on the fruits added to the brew. These natural yeast tend to give the beers a very funky, complex flavor. Many American wild ales are a little cloudy. They tend to be really fruit-forward; you'll see blackberry, cherry, strawberry, and even current options. These beers can have a really high alcohol content and a strong, sour flavor, so they're often served in smaller, 10-ounce pours at the bar.
Oud Bruin
Oud Bruin is a Belgian beer style. It's made with plenty of malt but no hops. What really sets it apart is the long fermenting process that allows bacterial and yeast levels to grow really high and produce a sour flavor. Oud Bruins have a funky flavor similar to that of American wild ales, but in an Oud Bruin, the yeast is typically from a culture, not from nature. Our Bruins aren't typically made with fruit, either, so while they are sour, they still taste very much like a classic beer.
If you like sour beers or want to try them, keep your eyes peeled for the varieties above. Each one is unique, but they are all sour.
For more information on beer, contact a company like Daveco Beer, Wine & Spirits.