Beer Styles: Sour Ales

A sour ale is a beer that is intentionally acidic or tart. At one time most beers were tart to some degree. Before it was fully understood how fermentation worked, wild yeasts strains did the heavy lifting rather than the cultured strains used today. Yeast cultures from one batch became the starter for the next batch. Not being done in a sterile environment, wild yeast often intruded. Certain types of wild yeast are acid-producing, which, in the presence of oxygen result in an sour or tart edge. There are several traditional styles of sour beer, some of which have been imitated by modern brewers. Lambic is a well-known style, which will have its own post. Berliner Weisse, also known as Berliner White is a traditional style originating in Hamburg Germany. Berliner's tend to be light, highly carbonated. A Gose (pronounced Goe-suh) is brewed with at least 50% malted wheat, it gets its name from the city where it originated, Goslar. A gose has salt and coriander added, which means it does not comply with the Reinheitsgebot (German beer purity law) but it was granted an exception as a regional specialty. There is also a style, which I have never tried, called Flanders Red Ale, it is a cousin to the porter, but utilizes lactic acid to give it a sour edge and is aged in oak barrels. Ill-Gotten Booty himself is a big fan of the sours, and am frequently warned that they are sours!