Stone Sour Fest ’10
From Seattle to Boston, San Diego to New York, and all across North America, the popularity of the libation known as ‘sours’ has seen a sharp rise as of late. And based on the number of breweries now producing this unique style of beer, it’s a fact not lost on today’s craft brewer. The number of fests now dedicated to this unique beer style top out at over 25 different large & small festivals across the U.S. & Canada. One of the more popular festivals is held in Escondido, CA at Stone’s World Bistro. As with all events Stone, Dr Bill Sysack was at the wheel to make sure that their Fourth Annual Sourfest surpassed the last three.
What is a ‘Sour’ anyway?
Sour beer is a style characterized by an acidic, tart, sour taste. In theory, any style of beer may be soured. However, most common styles are Belgian styles, including lambics, gueuzes, and Flanders-style ales. Souring may be achieved through yeast strains or bacteria, with the most common being lactobacillus & brettanomyces.
Like all festivals of this type, this year’s Sourfest allowed attendees to sample beers from around the world that typically would not be available to the average craft beer drinker.
Draft List:
*Allagash Confluence Ale
*Alvinne Kerasus
*Avery Altar Boy
*Avery Dépuceleuse
*Bacchus Flemish Red
*Ballast Point Hout Series Black Currant
*Ballast Point Hout Series Gueuze
*Ballast Point Sour Wench Blackberry Ale
*BJ’s Oude Jeremiah
*Bockor Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge
*2007 Boon Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait
*Bootlegger’s Cherry Chernobyl
*The Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
*The Bruery Melange # 7 (cask)
*The Bruery Oude Tart
*Cantillon Classic Gueuze
*Cantillon Fou’ Foune
*2009 Cascade Apricot Ale
*Cascade Bourbonic Plague
*2009 Cascade Kriek Ale
*2009 Cascade Sang Rouge
*2009 Cascade The Vine
*2009 Cascade Vlad the Imp Aler
*Craftsman Sour Lavender
*Deschutes Bender Weiss
*Deschutes Quadsimoto
*Dogfish Head Festina Peche
*Drake’s Kuato
*Drakes FrankenBerry Sour
*Grand Teton Sourgrass
*Green Flash Grand Mantis
*Green Flash Super Freak
*Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bière
*Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca
*Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga
*Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
*Lagunitas Pinot Noir Barreled Sonoma/Farmhouse Saison Style Ale
*The Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze
*The Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa
*The Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale
*The Lost Abbey Russ
*The Lost Abbey Veritas Ale 2007
*Moylan’s Barrel Aged Kilt Lifter with Brett
*New Belgium La Folie
*New Belgium Lips of Faith Eric’s Ale
*New Belgium Lips of Faith Transatlantique Kriek
*New Belgium Love – Felix (dry hopped)
*New Belgium Love – Oscar (spiced)
*New Belgium Tart Lychee
*Ommegang Zuur
*Rodenbach Grand Cru
*Russian River Consecration
*Russian River Supplication
*Six Rivers Raspberry Lambic
*St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition
*Stone Estate-grown Peach Sour (cask)
*Stone Funky Sour
*Triple Rock Sour Cherry Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels
*Verhaeghe Echte Kriekenbier
The first sour I ever had was in ’07 when I stopped in at Russian River during a trip to Northern California. A friend got a bottle of Beatification with the words, ‘you’re gonna love this’ but I must admit, that at first taste, I was NOT a fan of the style. But fast-forward to 2010 and I can’t get enough of the palate puckering elixirs!
Bottle List:
*3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze
*Alvinne Cuvée Freddy
*Avery Brabant
*Avery Dépuceleuse
*Avery Sui Generis
*Bayerischer Bahnhof Berliner Style Weisse
*Birra del Borgo Duchessic
*Birrificio Italiano Scires
*Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru
*Cantillon Classic Gueuze
*Cantillon Cuvée des Champions
*Cantillon Iris
*Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze
*Cantillon Rosé de Gambrinus
*Cantillon Vigneronne
*Cascade Kriek Ale
*Cascade The Vine
*De Proefbrouwerij Flemish Primitive
*2008 Special Vintage Reserve
*De Proefbrouwerij Zoetzuur
*De Ranke Kriek
*Dogfish Head Red & White
*Girardin Gueuze 1882 Black Label
*HaandBryggeriet Wild Thing
*Hanssens Oudbeitje
*Hanssens Oude Kriek
*Ichtegem’s Grand Cru
*Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga
*Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
*Liefmans Kriekbier
*Lindemans Gueuze Grand Cru Cuvée René
*The Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme
*The Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale
*The Lost Abbey Sinners 09
*Ommegang Zuur
*Oud Beersel Framboise
*Oud Beersel Kriek
*Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille
*Panil Barriquée
*Panil Barriquée Riserva
*Petrus Aged Pale
*Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale
*2009 Russian River Consecration
*2010 Russian River Consecration
*Russian River Supplication
*Russian River Temptation
*Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne
Looking for an event featuring sours near you? Try these regional events:
*Seattle, WA: Brouwer’s Sour Beer Fest
Held in May as part of Seattle Beer Week
*Boulder, CO: Boulder Sour Ale Fest
The first one was last Feb and due to its success a second event is planned for 2011.
*San Francisco, CA: Jug Shop Annual Sour Beer Fest
Held in mid-August
*Athens, GA: Funky Fest
Held at Aromas Wine Bar in September
*Seal Beach, CA: Beachwood BBQ Sour Beer Festival
Held in late August at Beachwood BBQ
