How to find sour beers?

Hey everyone,

I tried a Lambic the other day and loved it. So I'd like to try some more sours to see if I'd like to brew one but I have no idea what they look like. I went to a Spec's liquor store and looked for a while but had no idea what a sour looked like because I didn't see any that said "sour". Any advice on finding sour beers??

-Dave

 

Look for labels that say Oude Gueuze, Oude Kriek, Berliner Weisse, Flanders/Flemish Red, Oud Bruin, Gose, etc. Or just ask whoever works there.

 

Your major sour styles are Flanders Red, Flanders Brown/Oud Bruin, Berliner Weiss, Lambic/Gueuze, and American Wild Ales (kind of a catchall for American made sours). Without knowing what area you are in, I would guess you would probably have access to some of the more common sour ales.

Take a look for:

Monk's Cafe, Petrus Aged Pale, or Goudenband for examples of the Oud Bruin

Duchesse De Bourgogne, Rodenbach Grand Cru or Cuvée Des Jacobins Rouge for Flanders Red

Lindemans Cuvee Rene, Hanssens, or Boon for Lambic/Gueuze

Bruery Sour in the Rye, Oude Tart, Tart of Darkness, or Jolly Pumpkin Brewing are probably some of the more common American Wild Ales.

There are probably many others depending on your area, but these should be fairly easy to find.

 

I love lambic beers and always wanted to make them, but doubt that I ever will.

Back when I lived in Tokyo I bought lambic beers all the time and occasionally other kinds of sour beers, all imported from Europe, of course (95% from Belgium).

Every time I've looked for them in the states I've really had to search hard, though, since I've found that only really big liquor stores with a large selection of beers tend to have them in stock. And even then, usually the selection is quite limited.

Just a note, though, that if you're thinking of making your own sour beers, they take a very, very, very long time. Like... years. Not months. I've heard of some sour saisons being done in "only five or six months," but the time frames for sour beers (and especially lambics) tend to be much, much longer than for most other kinds of beers. More in the wine and dark spirits category. That may or may not deter you, but definitely something to keep in mind.

 

Sour beer is a beer style characterized by an intentionally acidic, tart, sour taste and it is placed under the category 17 by the beer judge certification programme.

 

Presumably you're in Texas, as that's where Spec's operate.

You should be able to find Jester King sours, Bruery (not at Spec's though), probably Boulevard's Love Child series, among others.

 

Depends on where you are in Texas, Jester King sours are mostly just at the brewery.

I wish the Bruery distributed to Texas!

Should definitely be able to find Rodenbach, Duchesse, Boulevard, and Petrus at Spec's. Also look for St Arnold's Boiler Room and Real Ale 18th Anniversary Gose for local Texas sours.

 

Cantillon. Go to Brussells and find the brewery. Take the tour. The tour guide will tell you how to make it. Yes, it is the best!! Three years to make a Gueuze.

http://www.cantillon.be/