Sour beers aren’t for everyone. Some beer fans can’t get enough of Rodenbach Grand Cru, Russian River Supplication, New Belgium La Folie and the myriad other Sour beers that have come into the market in the last few years. Others aren’t so sure about the tart, mouth-puckering beer that sometimes resembles a sour patch kid.
What is a Sour Beer?
A sour beer is created to be sour, tart in taste. It’s pretty jarring for those expecting a refreshing, light beer and they are met with a beer that’s fairly acidic in flavor. Belgium is well known for its sour beers, the most common of which are lambics, Flanders red ale, and gueuze.
What Makes Sour Beers So Special?
“It’s all about what you’re into as an explorative craft beer drinker,” says Eric Salazar, Wood Cellar Manager at New Belgium. “From a brewer’s point of view it’s about tradition, artistic expression, attention to detail, and the time it takes to bring all these aspects together into something you would enjoy had you made it yourself,” says Salazar, “Or better yet, if someone made it for you.” Salazar knows a thing or two about Sour Ales. He’s been working for New Belgium for twenty years.
Image: New Belgium
The sky is the limit when it comes to the flavor profile possibilities sour beer presents. “Let’s take a look at the list of beers we’re currently producing… Le Terroir utilizes the citrus overtones of the Amarillo hops to complement and even accentuate the sour, Clutch is using a small percentage of sour beer as a component of an already powerful flavor profile featuring roasted malt, and in Tart Lychee we’re pairing the sweetness of the Lychee fruit with the sour, a flavor combo I think everyone understands.”
New Belgium’s new sour beer, Eric’s Ale, is named after Salazar. He says that this beer is the perfect gateway into the world of sour beer. Find an Eric’s Ale at your favorite tap room or bottle shop. “Clear your mind of all outside worries and find your center focus. Sip once, sip twice, waft the beer by your nose and inhale gently, let your mind expand, and sip again.”
A Good Jumping Off Point
Image: New Belgium
Eric’s Ale is a sour peach ale designed to be a good stepping stone into the genre of sour beers. “It’s a blend of our Wood Aged Sour beer Felix, a Strong Golden, and peaches,” says Salazar. “Then we re-ferment to achieve balance between sour, malty, and peach aroma.” Salazar’s life’s work is sour beers. “I am the Wood Cellar Manager here at New Belgium Brewing Company with twenty years of brewing experience.” Along with Lauren Woods Salazar (Specialty Brand Manager/Blender) and Peter Bouckaert (Brewmaster) he has been a part of the Wood Aged Beer program since the brewery was founded in 1991. “It’s simply what I like and what I do, everyone should be so lucky.”
A Culture of Sour Beer
Image: New Belgium
La Folie is New Belgium’s flagship sour ale first created way back in 1998 and brewed in the tradition of Belgian sour browns. Le Terroir is a golden sour ale dry hopped with Amarillo hops. “Tart Lychee is exactly as its name suggests – beautifully tart with addition of lychee fruit, and Clutch is a sour stout brewed and designed with the band Clutch.” Many of New Belgium’s interesting flavors are made prior to wood barrel aging, with the stainless vessel acidification process. Some of these beers include Snapshot and Hop Tart. “Expect more from us in the future as well. We doubled our wood cellar capacity just last year.”
Salazar has a little bit of advice for those looking to try new and different sour beers. “With so much to explore, why ever stop?”
