Sour and lambic

Sour beers have something of a legendary name in the beer world these days. This is partly due to their boundary-breaking flavours that are a far cry from the heavily hopped norm, but also thanks to their enigmatic, old-world character and designs. For something seen as so complex, though, sour beers are the product of one of the simpler brewing processes. For pure lambic beers, brewers in Belgium’s Zenne valley take the pre-yeasted wort beer and pour it into a large vat with no cover. Then, for around a day, natural, wild yeasts in the air are allowed to enter the container and propagate, before the sour beer is aged for anywhere up to three years, with the wild yeasts forming the characteristic sourness and relatively high ABV. Going further, gueuze beers are a blend of sourer two- to three-year-aged and sweeter one-year-aged lambic beers. Fruity sour beers can also be made by ageing lambics over cherry (known as kriek), raspberry (framboise), peach (pêche) and more. And if you don’t fancy Belgian, so-called kettle sour beers are on hand – made in a mainstream brewing style with acidulated malts, brettanomyces, or lactic acid to create the classic sour taste. Whether you’re new to sour beers or a seasoned lover of lambics, sour ales and sour IPAs, check out our selection below. Boon, Cantillon, Van Honsebruck – we’ve got a huge range from the best in the business. If you need any help with your order, get in touch, or for more information on beer topics view our features.