Defining Sour Beer
Defining Sour Beer
Sour beer pleases just about everyone. Beer lovers appreciate the complexity of a sour beer, while those who don't typically like the taste of beer enjoy a sour's fruity flavor. Because sour beer is a crowd-pleaser, this style continues to grow in popularity in craft breweries nationwide. Are you ready to experience a sour? Let's learn the basics first.
Below, we'll outline a sour beer definition, describe the brewing process, highlight differences between sours and IPAs and discuss how sours can best be enjoyed — including some sour beer food pairing suggestions. Keep reading to become a sour beer terminology expert.
What Are Sours?
A sour beer is any beer with a sour, tart or acidic taste. It may include fruits like cherry, raspberry and peach to create a satisfying balance of sour and sweet flavors.
This unique beer style uses yeast and bacteria during brewing to achieve a bright, tart flavor. Unlike some other beer styles, sour beer involves the fermentation of multiple yeast strains and acid-producing bacteria. This creates a more acidic taste than regular beers. Brettanomyces, a type of yeast, and the bacteria lactobacillus and pediococcus are commonly included to add complex flavor and acidity. Brewers also add fruit, which has organic acids, to give sour beer a more tart taste.
The wild organisms used to sour beer can bring a wide range of flavors, from intensely sour to light and fruity to downright funky. More well-known types of beer use specific yeast strains in a sterile environment to maintain tight control over the brewing process and produce more familiar flavors.
Types of Sour Beers
Sour beer comes in many varieties, and brewers always innovate and create new ones. Here are a few types of sour beers to introduce you to the possibilities:
Gose: Gose is a refreshing, easy-to-drink sour beer that originated in Germany. It is often highly carbonated and features salty, herbal or citrusy flavors.
Berliner Weisse: Berliner Weisse is a light and dry German wheat beer. It usually has a slightly malty flavor and may be served with fruit syrup to add a touch of sweetness.
Lambic: Lambic is a Belgian-style beer that's loved for its complexity and funky backyard flavors. It's fermented with various wild yeast and bacteria, creating a one-of-a-kind taste.
Flanders red ale: This sour beer style comes from the Flanders region in Belgium. Flanders red ale is known for its fruity, wine-like taste and copper color.
American wild ale: Brewed in America, this style uses various wild yeast strains and bacteria. It commonly includes Brettanomyces and may feature fruity and earthy notes.
How Is Sour Beer Brewed?
While the brewing process for sour beer varies depending on the type of sour beer being made, these five steps are generally followed across all sour beer styles:
The grain is made: First, the grain must be mashed with malt and water and allowed to rest. Then, the grain bed can be rinsed to pull out as much sugar from it as possible without extracting tannins from the grain husks — a process known as sparging. The grain is sparged until the kettle is full.
Aged hops are added to the boil: Only a small amount of aged hops should be added to the boil because too many hops could inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Bacteria is added: After the wort has cooled, the mixture is ready to be transferred to the secondary fermentation vessel, where it will be primed with yeast and bacteria. Bacteria can be added directly or after the wort has been first fermented with the regular brewer's yeast. Cooling the wort slowly in an open vessel and allowing it to ferment and age in a wooden cask will allow the wort to pick up wild yeast and bacteria from its environment to give it a better sour flavor.
The beer starts to ferment: In the first few weeks, a head of foamy yeast and wort proteins will form and bubble on the beer's surface. As the wort settles down, a film may also develop on top of the beer to protect the bacteria from exposure to air or harmful substances.
The fermentation process is completed: Fermenting the beer may take several months or until the desired level of lactic acid concentration and sourness is reached. Afterward, the beer will be ready to bottle and enjoy.
Differences Between Sours and IPAs
India Pale Ales (IPAs) can refer to beer styles characterized by hops and herbal or citrus flavors. Depending on the type, IPAs can also be bitter and malty, though some can be lighter and fruity. In general, IPAs contain higher alcohol levels than sours.
The main difference between sour beers and IPAs is the fermentation process. Sour beers get their sour flavor from the lactic acid produced by the Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacteria as it ferments. Unlike sours, IPAs are brewed in a controlled setting without wild bacteria and do not have as much of an acidic taste.
What's the Typical ABV for a Sour Beer?
Most sour beers are between 3%-5% alcohol by volume (ABV). However, some sours can be as high as 9% ABV or as low as 2%, depending on the style and the brewing conditions used. Most sour beers can be considered session beer due to the lower ABV. This includes any beer that is lower in ABV and high in refreshment so that you can enjoy multiple in a drinking session.
How Sour Beers Age
Aging changes a beer's flavors. A sour beer may become more complex, funky and mellow with time. Some sour beers will become more sour in the first few years of aging as malt characteristics fade.
Sour beers exposed to wild yeast during fermentation, like lambics and American wild ales, are ideal for aging because they evolve in interesting ways.
What Pairs Well With Sour Beers?
Sour beer tastes great alongside a wide variety of different foods. The uniquely tart flavor of sour beers pairs best with these types of dishes:
Spicy foods: Anything spicy, like fajitas or chili, complements the tart flavor of sour beers.
Fatty cuts of beef: The richness of a fatty cut of beef, like a ribeye, goes well with the lighter taste of a sour beer.
Cured meats: Cured meats and sausage tend to be extremely salty, making them the perfect partner for a refreshing sour beer.
Deep-fried foods: A greasy appetizer like french fries or onion rings needs a light session beer like a sour.
Strong cheeses: Assertive cheeses, such as goat, sharp cheddar or gorgonzola, often pair well with a slightly fruity sour beer.
Mollusks: The salty sea taste of oysters, clams and mussels matches nicely with a refreshing sour beer, especially when the seafood is served with lemon juice and butter.
What Glass Should I Use With a Sour?
Any beer connoisseur knows that glass choice is crucial. Although a sour beer can taste great in a wide variety of glasses, you may want to use a tulip glass to make the most of your sour beer experience. A tulip will allow the brew to breathe, which is key when enjoying a sour, while generating a complex aroma from the head of the beer.
However, a tulip isn't your only sour beer glass option. A sour will still taste great served in a snifter, tumbler or an oversized wine glass. If you order the sour as part of a tasting flight, make sure it comes after any darker or heavier beers so you can end on a lighter note.
Get a Great Sour Beer at Thompson Island Brewing Company
If you're ready to find out what all the hype is about, head over to Thompson Island Brewing Company to try an expertly brewed sour beer. At Thompson Island Brewing Company, we keep our delicious sours on tap so you can enjoy the refreshing taste of a session sour any time.
To go along with your refreshing sour beer, we offer a chef-inspired menu of fresh, local food. And with a Beer Garden full of fun games like corn hole and ping-pong, Thompson Island Brewing Company is fun for the whole family. With a convenient location along Coastal Highway, Thompson Island Brewing Company is the best place to get a stellar sour beer and good food in a relaxed environment.
Come see what the sour craze is all about and join us for happy hour today!