Tart and refreshing with attractive price points, kettle sours are all the rage at craft breweries right now. This souring method, in which Lactobacillus is added after the mash but before the boil (and before the beer undergoes regular fermentation with Saccharomyces), is not just efficient; it’s also effective in keeping brewhouses safe from contamination. Here are five brewers on their five favorite kettle-soured beers.
Sean Fickle
Brewer at Fountain Square Brewery in Indianapolis, Indiana
“The Blood Orange Gose from Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, California) is my current favorite. It’s an amazingly well-balanced Gose with no single flavor dominating, with delightful tartness that blends excellently with the blood orange. The orange adds a little sweetness to the finish for me. It’s very easy to drink. Thank goodness it’s a session beer.”
Adam Beauchamp
Cofounder and Brewmaster at Creature Comforts Brewing Co. in Athens, Georgia
“Just from 7venth Sun Brewing Company (Dunedin, Florida) taught me how to kettle sour. Their Do You Even Sudachi Bro? is a Berliner weisse brewed with sudachi, a green Japanese citrus fruit. Berliners play so well with citrus flavor, and the sudachi is a really interesting addition to this already tart and citric beer.”
Jay Goodwin
Cofounder and Director of Blending and Brewing at The Rare Barrel in Berkeley, California
“My favorite kettle sour is Creature Comforts Brewing Co.’s (Athens, Georgia) flagship Berliner weisse, Athena. It’s a refreshing, gently tart wheat beer. What makes Athena so great is its perfect combination of drinkability and balance.”
Ashleigh Carter
Owner and Brewer at Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver, Colorado
“I recently had Spangalang Brewery’s (Denver, Colorado) Lemon Session, which was awesome. It’s a wheat ale brewed with lemon and Citra hops. They don’t call it a kettle sour even though they do kettle sour it. They use the kettle-sour [method] to replicate the acidity that you would think of with lemons to make a well-balanced, nuanced, and refreshing beer.”
Greg McDaniel
Owner and Brewer at Three Four Beer Co. in Fort Collins, Colorado
“Loveland Aleworks (Loveland, Colorado) is making a bunch of great kettle sours. They are always fruited, and there are a bunch of variations on a Berliner weisse base. The American Sour with Raspberry is a staple, and it’s excellent—acidic, but it holds its body. Their seasonal sour, Strawberry/Rhubarb, is phenomenal, too.”
