JAMES NEVISON is an award-winning wine writer, an educator and the co‑founder of HALFAGLASS. He is the wine columnist for The Province, where his column “Wine Guy” appears each Thursday. James is the co‑author of seven best‑selling books on wine in Canada, including Had a Glass 2015: Top 100 Wines Under $20. Follow his wine musings @hadaglass.
“What at first sip were likely brewing mistakes have been embraced over time as delicious… beer styles.”
Why Is the Beer Sour? Let’s be clear: sour beers are sour on purpose—at least nowadays! Modern sours are intentionally “soured” during the brewing process by introducing various yeasts or specific bacteria. Typically, these are strains of probiotic Lactobacillus or Pediococcus bacteria— though adding Brettanomyces mould (a.k.a. “Brett”) can amp up a beer’s acidity. Alternatively, fruit can be added to the brew kettle, naturally introducing tartness thanks to its inherent citric acid.
been embraced over time as delicious, quintessential beer styles. We’re talking the spontaneously fermented and fruited Belgian lambics, the barrel-aged Flanders red ales (or Flemish reds), the light and tart Lactobacillus -imbued Berliner Weisse, and the refreshing herb and salted goses. Sour Beers Today While classic sour beer styles continue to be enjoyed, brewers globally have embraced their own takes on refreshing and tart brews. In British Columbia, inspiration comes through traditional methods—for example, by allowing wild yeast to work its fermenting magic. It also comes from using brewing techniques to control the souring process and reduce the risk of failed batches of beer. It can also mean incorporating local fruit into the brew kettle for unique sour beer flavours.
A Modern Twist on Tradition Some local breweries start with homage, then add their twist. Nick Andersen, strategy manager for Moody Ales & Co., explains the Lavender Sour “was initially conceived as a tribute to gruit, an ancient beer style, and evolved.” Gruit, which is infused with spices and bitter herbs, was popular before hops became widely available.
A Brief History of Sour Beers
Making sour beers has a long tradition, though historically the results haven’t always been so purposeful. What at first sip were likely brewing mistakes have
A Happy Accident, the Origins of Nectarous Sour Brent Mills, Four Winds Brewing’s director of brewing operations, recounts what led to the brewery’s award-winning sour:
Brent Mills, Four Winds Brewing, Director of Brewing Operations
“One Friday our boiler broke, and we had a kettle full of saison that was either gonna be dumped or experimented with. This was our opportunity to try this extreme procedure of souring the whole batch in the kettle over the weekend. Monday morning came, and we got our boiler up and running, and the wort in the kettle was nice and tart. We boiled for a short while, added some Galaxy hops and fermented with a wild yeast strain. Five weeks later, Nectarous was born!”
Four Winds Nectarous Dry‑Hopped Sour BC $15.99 148203 4 × 473 ml “The acid and tropical profile of
[Nectarous Dry-Hopped Sour] needs to be paired with some rich cheese: try a cave-aged Gruyère or provolone.”
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