Sour Side of Brewing: Top 3 Sour Beers in Indiana

22 Jul Sour Side of Brewing: Top 3 Sour Beers in Indiana

By Andrew Dickey

I am a big fan of sour beers and first discovered them in Belgium during the 90s. Lambics were exciting, but my discovery of sour browns enticed me more. Later, a trip to Germany found me in Berlin, drinking the sourest beer I have ever come across all the while begging the bartender not to make it with too much Waldmeister (lemongrass-vanilla) or Himbeer (raspberry) syrup.

It was a long time before American breweries went this direction, but our hometown Brugge Brasserie leads the way. New Glarus in Wisconsin also makes some fine sour beers, including the sour brown Enigma which was so good I still think about it seven years after I had it. Upland Brewing launched their lambic series in 2008 with great success, and Sun King made a Sour Princess in 2012 that was great!

Indiana certainly has been a forerunner for American sour beers, and Upland has been putting on the Sour+Wild+Funk Fest annually since 2013. In 2013, I ran into sour enthusiasts from several states and still find it amazing how quickly sours have caught on. I had my wife try so many that now sour beers are all that she drinks. Rivertown in Cincinnati is making two of her favorites with their sour brown and Berliner Weisse. I asked her why they are so good, and she said they just are. There is something about sour beers, and the people who like them just appreciate them for reasons only our palates understand. And of course in the summer, they are aptly refreshing.

A lot of Indiana breweries are doing sours, and the list is growing. Upland’s lambics continue to be top-notch, and I was taken back by their Persimmon Lambic. Sun King experimented with sour browns and is set to release the Velour Soccer Mom, an Oak aged sour, on July 23. Central State’s Lazer Raptor was amazing, and I hope they make it again. As seen in the picture above, Taxman has a strawberry rhubarb sour and has made several others sours as well.

Being a fan of sour beers, it was tough to pick my favorite three made in Indiana. So many seasonals and one-offs have impressed me, but I felt I should pick something that a brewery has made more than once, or plans to continue making. I try so many good sours on a regular basis, but the following three are by far my favorite’s, and the favorites of those I spoke to as I wrote this article.

Brugge has made some awesome sours, including Bad Kitty, but I think Pooka is not only their best, but my favorite Indiana made sour. It’s an American wild sour ale made with boysenberries, with a dark pink hue. Very tart and refreshing, it drinks well for a 6% ABV. I have been enjoying it for years. In 2011, I remember having Pooka at Brugge with friends before a brewfest, and everyone agreed it was a phenomenal beer. For me, it’s the way the color matches the tartness, and it is one of Brugge’s best offerings.

My choice for number two, Tin Man’s Damascene, has become very popular lately. Tin Man was in the forefront for Indiana craft beer canning, and the Evansville brewery gives us an amazing beer with Damascene, a lightly carbonated apricot sour. It is bright golden with a hint of sweetness on the front which totally gives way to mouth puckering sourness. It is a family favorite, and it was also mentioned by nearly every sour fan with whom I have discussed the subject.

My third choice comes from the 18th Street side project called Sour Notes. I discovered their Sour Saison with lemon zest just a few months ago. A sour farmhouse style American wild ale, rich with aroma, golden in color, and very sour on the finish. It is crisp and light, and quite good. 18th Street continues to impress me, and I am glad they are making sours.

So my top three Indiana sours are the Brugge Pooka, Tin Man Damascene, and 18th Streets Sour Note Sour Saison. My picks represent the excellence in the developing Indiana sour scene. With good sours popping up locally every week, there will be a lot to choose from for the Indiana sour fan. If you’re already a fan of sours, I hope you found this article informative. If you have not tried a sour, I strongly urged you to start with one of the three I selected as the top in Indiana.