Let’s start with a bit of clarification: Fruit Beers aren’t necessarily Sours. Though a lot of sours have fruit added to them, so they do overlap somewhat. But that’s good news for us homebrewers because it means that you can make a fruit brew without having to worry about the crazy world of wild yeasts and bacteria. Because Fruit Beer is basically any beer that has fruit added to it.
The base of a Fruit Beer can vary, e.g:
- Stout
- IPA and Pales
- Wheat Beer
- Sours
So there is lot to discover, brew and sample in the world of Fruit Beers. The important thing with Fruit Beers though is that you still want it to be recognisable as a beer. It’s not an alco pop! As the BJCP say, ‘The fruit character should be evident but in balance with the beer.’
Sour Beers, however, have been fermented using microbes such as the Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacteria and the wild yeast Brettanomyces (‘Brett’). These can be made using traditional co-fermentation or by quick kettle souring. There is a wide range of styles of Sour Beers, ranging from mouth-puckeringly sour, to earthy and funky, to fruity and light. While some are more complex and wine-like.
Though certain beers may be brewed to have sour characteristics (like a Sour Saison), traditional Sour Beer styles include:
Gose: characterised by the inclusion of coriander and salt.
Lambic: Gueze is a blend of young and old Lambics; Kriek is a Lambic which has been fermented with cherries, Framboise with raspberries.
Flanders Red Ale: distinct and complex often compared to Burgundy red wine.
Oud Bruin: malt forward brown or red beers with big raisin/fig flavours.
Berliner Weisse: low ABV wheat beer, tart and refreshing.
Food Pairings
The refreshing tartness of fruit beers and sours means they pair really well with loads of different dishes, particulary ones which are salty, fatty or acidic. Spicy foods also match perfectly, so pour yourself one with your Mexican or Asian meal. But I think the true test of pairing beer with food is what you enjoy yourself. Who cares what the experts say?
As a starting point, here are some ideas of which dishes would match nicely to the following brews:
Passion Fruit or Mango IPA or Sour: Vietnamese summer rolls
Raspberry Berliner Weisse: Salty, fatty, cured meats
Classic Gose: Tortillas, fajitas, tacos with lots of freshly squeezed lime and guacamole.
Lemon Gose: Seafood; goats cheese salad
Cherry or Strawberry Lambic: Hearty stew deepened with juniper berries and bay leaves; cherry cheesecake
Flanders Red Ale: Vinous character similar to a full-bodied red wine is great with tangy or salty cheeses
Tropical Pale packed with e.g. oranges and passion fruit: Refreshing salads
Apple Ale: Sausage rolls or a nice ploughman’s
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