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My gut biome and tequila don’t mix. Ditto for too much sour ale. Still, I have to admit that this Gose like sour from Paperback Brewing Co. has me intrigued.
Maybe it is the lime and coriander combo that is doing the heavy lifting for me.
Is it more wither sour and wild ale or whither?
At the recent California Craft Beer Summit, it seemed this style was more a past thought than a future one. Russian River Brewing is transitioning their sour space to hold more lager and pilsner production. Sierra Nevada is in the kombucha space and now also energy drinks. New Belgium is going hard into the VooDoo.
More local, Cellador Ales has moved into a space at Smog City while looking at their own taproom but are currently bottles and cans and before that move they had released one (or two) more seltzer-y items.
Personally, I think that the American palate that leans into nearly diabetic sugar territory is primarily to blame. There was never going to be a big market for Wild/Sour to start. Second, the cost is amongst the highest in craft even with the proliferation of $20+ 4-packs.
Small market and high price seems fine economically. But add in tough times and slow to no growth and you have a style that you move away from in search for profit, and I don’t mean profit in a bad way. Just that a labor intensive, ingredient intensive, time intensive beers are a luxury.
If you are strong of stomach and want to explore the sour side of beer, well the Sour Friends are back on the 18th at Cellador Ales.
Lost Abbey is no stranger to spin-off lines. Hop Concept is their IPA offshoot and now they are launching Tiny Bubbles in 2020 with 4-packs of slim 12oz cans starting with two flavors, brut and rosé. I applaud that Tomme Arthur and crew have not bowed to the seltzer whims (which will come back to bite some, methinks) and have taken their core competency and put a spin on it.
If you are sour because it is Monday then maybe, Provisions Market’s 3rd Tart & Funky Sour Fest Which begins today might help. Not only with today but for the next four days!
Below are the lists for each day. Cascade might be the most known and popular but Thursday’s Line-Up looks excellent. My picks are bolded.
Monday, October 17th:
Rodenbach Alexander
Rodenbach Foederbier
Boon Kriek
Mikkeller Spontansourcherry
Mikkeller Spontanpassionfruit
Mikkeller/Three Floyds Bla Spogelse
The Rare Barrel Sabertooth Tiger
Highland Park Cherry Spazz
Allagash Farm To Face
Allagash Tiarana
Drie Fonteinen Flight:
Hommage
Intense Red
Framboos
Oude Kriek
Oude Geuze
Golden Blend
Tuesday, October 18th:
A Day of Sours from Cascade:
Sang Noir
Noyaux
Pumpkin Smash
Fodure #1
Pumpkin Smash
Bourbonic Plague
Cerise Nouveau
Cranberry
Manhattan
Figaro
Blueberry
Apricot Ale
Kriek
Wednesday, October 19th:
Cantillon St Gilloise
Cantillon Kriek
Almanac Farmers Reserve Strawberry
Almanac Pluot
Almanac Dogpatch Sour
Almanac Wakatu Sour
Almanac Citra Sour
Almanac Pumpkin Sour
Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Citrus
Almanac Lavender de Brettaville
Almanac Amarillo Sour
Lost Abbey Cuvee De Tommee
Lost Abbey Framboise De Amorosa
Lost Abbey Madonna & Child
Bear Republic Tartare Rouge
The Bruery Terruex Les Ronces
Modern Times Neverwhere
Thursday, October 20th:
De Garde Bu Weiss
Logsdon Peche N Brett 2014
Logsdon Peche N Brett 2015
Tilquin Quetsche
Cisco Peahish Woods
Beachwood Blendery Careful With That Apricot, Eugene
Grimm Super Spruce
Cellar 3 Flanders Drive
Cellar 3 Oculus Sauvage
Cellar 3 Natura Morta
Good Beer Siesta
Good Beer La Vista
Avery Expletus
Avery Insula Multos Collibus
If you have ever been to the massive New Belgium complex, you may have seen what they call their “forest”. Made up of foeders filled with the fruits of their sour program labor. And on February 6th, you have two ticketed events to choose from to get a sip of the 2016 goodies from Fort Collins.
Choice # 1 is the Pedalars Fork up in Calabasas where you can be treated to a three-course farm to table dinner with three New Belgium beers such as 2016 La Folie, 2016 Transatlantique Kriek and Blackberry Love Felix. Snapshot Wheat and Citradelic IPA will also be on tap.
If cheese and Long Beach is more your thing then the same night at The Blind Donkey LBC will host and offer up a flight of beers + 1 full pour of your favorite. The added beer on tap will be the Blue Paddle Pilsner and cheese and charcuterie from Cheese Addiction.
What was started after Thanksgiving continues as the Holiday Ale Daily Advent Calendar (HADAC) highlights Winter Warmers from all over the globe. Including the infamous Anchor Holiday Ale which I will review many years of. There will also be many Portland beers to review from my recent trip but don’t fret, there will be plenty of LA Beer news to convey.
~ E-visits to three breweries from the Dallas Design District such as Texas Ale Project, Noble Rey and Peticolas
~ Reviews of various years of the Anchor Holiday Ale including the new 2014 version
~ Heads-Up on festive Los Angeles Beer Events throughout the month
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
~ … and Session # 94 will converge bloggers onto a single topic, this month it is Your Role in the Beer Scene
Here are two events to get your December started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) December 5th New Belgium Sour Seminar at Library Alehouse
2) December 18th Beachwood 8 Double IPA Release
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Do you like sour beers? Do you like driving around LA? Or are you like me and picking one spot to grab some Firestone Walker beer?
“Walker’s Wild Ride is back during L.A. Beer Week! Join the Lion & the Barrelmeister on Saturday, Sept. 27th as they make their unruly trek in “Olivia”, the ’64 Land Rover, hosting a crazy LA pub crawl with four sour beers in tow! Follow along as we make stops at Tony’s Darts Away (12pm), Library Alehouse (2:30pm), Naja’s Place (4:30pm) & The Federal Bar – Long Beach (7pm).”
I don’t much care for the new Cismontane labels but I do like the little touch of the dog and the citrus slice. This little part works. And so does the beer. This liquer looking beer pours without a head and the aroma is not blasting sour at you. Much more restrained . More cognac to my nose. But the taste gets back down to sour business. Tart on the lips and quite a bit of citrus that is tempered by the wood notes. Not tangy but mellow and sour at the same time. Nice and complex. Thanks to the Cap’n for voyaging down south to pick this beer up for me.
Evil Twin and Mikkeller have some serious creativity. Though the label is boring the name of this new sour ale is pretty cool.
I am hoping that 12%, the importer can bring the beers over here in good condition. And then I hope they can make it to LA.
Would be cool to have a Mikkeller. Evil Twin taste off.