While sour beers are nothing new in the history of beer, they’ve become very popular in the American craft beer world over the last decade. They’ve been brewed for centuries but for some reason, American beer drinkers are really embracing them lately. Specifically, in the last five years, the popularity of sour beers has increased dramatically as drinkers seem to be loving this tart, acidic beer style.
Don’t believe us? Visit your local craft brewery and see if they aren’t selling a fruited sour or gose.
For those unaware, the term “sour beer” is an umbrella term that includes many beer styles. This includes traditional lambics, geuze, Flanders red ales, Berliner Weisses, German-style goses, and even fruited sours. They’re known for their sour, acidic, and tart flavor notes. Many of these include different fruit flavors, while the gose-style takes it one step further and adds salt into the mix.
Sour beers are great for the fall months because they’re yeasty, tart, and (in many cases) drink more like a wine than a classic beer. They range in alcohol but are usually lower than most fall beer styles. We love them and brewers agree. So we asked a handful of well-known brewers and craft beer experts to tell us their favorite sour beers for autumn. Keep scrolling to see all of their picks.
The Shades Thai Tom Kha
Jody Valenta, co-president and COO of Roadhouse Brewing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $13.50 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Shades Thai Tom Kha. Honestly, this brew is consumable all day every day, but the coconut, lemongrass, galangal, kafir leaf, and lactose just work so well together to provide a lighter beer that’s still perfect to put in your pack for winter excursions or to sip around the fire.
Amorphic The Horse You Rode Out On
Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
The sour I’m grabbing is the one that makes me feel like it’s not fall/winter because I want to drink something that takes me away from cold, damp weather. For that, I’m drinking Amorphic Beer’s The Horse You Rode Out On which contains loads of cactus fruit and hibiscus. The end flavor tastes like a watermelon jolly rancher and makes you forget it’s below freezing outside.
Blue Owl Professor Dark
Amy Cartwright, co-founder of Independence Brewing in Austin, Texas
ABV: 6.1%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
Blue Owl’s Professor Black, a dark cherry sour stout. It is not super sour, but the tartness really brings out the dark cherry and the darker malts provide balance and a good base. A nice balance between tart fruit and bold malts. A must-try this fall.
Hopfenstark Boson de Higgs
Alex Swanson, brewer at Finback Brewery in Glendale, New York
ABV: 3.8%
Average Price: $10 for a 22-ounce bottle
Why This Beer?
Boson de Higgs by Hopfenstark of Quebec, Canada. Crushable at 3.8% ABV, this beer plays a really interesting game between the acid and smoke. Tart enough to be thirst-quenching, while satisfying my craving for more savory flavors the cool weather brings on. A very cool beer.
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Phil Markowski, brewmaster at Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut
ABV: 6%
Average Price: $14.99 for a four-pack
Why This Beer?
Rodenbach Grand Cru is an absolute classic when it comes to sour beers. Extraordinarily complex with just the right amounts of acidity, residual sweetness, wood, and fermentation character. There’s a reason it constantly gets added to “best” lists. It’s just a well-made, tart, perfect beer.
The Bruery Tart of Darkness
Aaron Halecky, brewmaster at Great Basin Taps & Tanks in Reno, Nevada
ABV: 7.1%
Average Price: $21.99 for a 750ml bottle
Why This Beer?
Tart of Darkness from The Bruery. The roasted character of the stout coupled with the slight vanilla and oak flavors from the barrel collide gracefully with intense tartness produced by the bacteria and wild yeast that is used to give this beer its signature flavor. They meld together to give you a sour, dark, bold beer. Perfect if you are in the mood to board the tart train on a winter’s night.
This is a party in your mouth and the river of flavors runs deep.
Cantillon Kriek Lou Pepe
Enrique Vittorino, brand manager at Wynwood Brewing Co. in Miami
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $50 for a 750ml bottle
Why This Beer?
Kriek Lou Pepe by Cantillon. I wish I remembered more Cicerone-approved lingo to describe this beer, but I don’t. First, you see a mesmerizing red color with a beautiful pinkish head which already takes you to a different realm. The aroma is that of red wine poured into a glass that had champagne. The flavor is incredible, I know that’s not a canonic flavor, but that’s what I experienced.
Cherry, tart, intense, Europe, history, the smell of rain on a stone-made road surrounded by a bit of moss.
New Belgium La Folie
Ryan Joy, lead brewer at Green Flash Brewing Company in San Diego
ABV: 6%
Average Price: $9.50 for a 375ml bottle
Why This Beer?
Another classic and the sour beer that got me into sour beer is New Belgium Brewing’s La Folie. Assertively tart initially, but as your palate gets used to it and the beer warms, complex notes of sweet malt, tart cherry, plum, and dried dates begin to appear. This beer is a true journey of flavor.
Allagash Haunted House
Rob Day, vice president of marketing for Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Massachusetts
ABV: 6.66%
Average Price: $14.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
Why This Beer?
I’ve really come to like Allagash Haunted House which is a dark hoppy ale. It’s not like the rest of the fall beers, but somehow still tastes like fall. Smooth, dark hoppiness is a great fall recipe. This Belgian-style ale is also yeasty, funky, slightly sour, and highly memorable.
Lindemans Faro Lambic
Ian Brown, head brewer at Biggerstaff Brewing in Atlanta
ABV: 4.5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
I used to love to drink Lindeman’s Faro Lambic. It was a younger Lambic that was sweetened and was just insanely drinkable while still having some of that great funky Lambic character that wasn’t too sour and crazy. Maybe I’ll try one again this fall.
