I remember a time—not that long ago—when sour beers were actually quite rare in the marketplace. Mostly they came from places with odd-sounding Flemish names, evoked images of head-shorn monks or country farmers making beer in ancient barns, and were enjoyed sparingly and infrequently. My, oh, my, how times have changed.
Sour beers are now, arguably, the hottest thing since a certain three-initialed beer style became king of the craft world. While IPA is still the most-consumed craft product (by a country mile), more and more breweries are producing sour beers. Their creations not only mimic the more traditional sours of Europe but also break new ground on “wild” versions of modern styles and have also sparked a renaissance for near-extinct tart beers. It’s a fun time to be alive as a beer drinker—and there’s no reason that you shouldn’t be brewing your own sours as well as drinking them.
Here, we discuss the basics of bugs, traditional and modern, and fast and slow ways of souring your beer, and how to bring your sours (stylistically) into the twenty-first century. For those who are new to this, there’s a whole new (flavor) world out there waiting for you. And for those who have been at it for a while, you may find that the methods and styles have opened up new options and doors for you to explore!