By now, the sour beer craze has become ubiquitous enough that a quick stop at Whole Foods typically yields at least a dozen puckering finds. Chances are you've sampled some tart brews from our own backyard, a trend locally spearheaded many years ago by Russian River Brewing. There is, however, a category of sour beers that is largely unrepresented in domestic production. This weekend, you'll have a shot at tasting a solid list of some of these truly wild, terroir-driven beers.
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Most sour beers are introduced to wild yeast (brettanomyces) and bacteria (lactobacillus and pediococcus) in a controlled environment. The brewer purchases or grows their own strain, and either ferments the beer with those elements from the beginning, or adds them when transferring to the barrel. Spontaneous fermentation, on the other hand, is a much more unbridled approach. Think of it as the "let's just let this stuff sit outside and see what happens" approach. Essentially, the liquid is placed in an open pool (called a coolship), and whatever ambient yeast and bacteria in the local surroundings is allowed to wander its way into the brew.
While there are a handful of breweries in this country who make spontaneously fermented beer (Russian River's Beatification beer is one such example), the bulk of these beers come from Belgium. Lambic and Gueuze (a blend of one, two, and three year-old lambics) from producers such as Cantillon and Drie Fonteinen are notable examples. These beers tend to be the most intense of the spectrum, with complex notes of "horse blanket" and "petting zoo." That is to say, they aren't for the timid.
This Saturday, April 5th, starting at noon, The Trappist is tapping a long list of these beers, which truly showcase the wild flora of the regions they were brewed in. Ever fantasize about being in a red barn on the Belgian countryside? Well, now you can taste one. The list is still being populated, but you can expect the following beers on tap:
Cantillon Fou Foune (8 p.m. tapping)
Cantillion Saint Lamvinus (4 p.m. tapping)
Cantillon Vigneronne (Noon tapping)
Mikkeller Spontan Cassis
Mikkeller Spontan Gooseberry
Mikkeller Spontan Rosehips
Mikkeller Spontan Peach
Mikkeller Spontan Seabuckthorn
Mikkeller Spontan Elderflower
Gueuze Tilquin 2012
Gueuze Tilquin 2013
De Troch LambikX
Boon Oude Lambic 2009
Russian River Sanctification
Allagash Avance
Allagash Midnight Brett
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