Sours at Brouwer's

Sour beers may be an acquired taste, but they're a taste that more and more people are acquiring. In an article by beer writer Lew Bryson, Jolly Pumpkin owner Ron Jeffries says that "sour beers are the next IPA." For evidence of this trend in Seattle, look no further than the Brouwer's Cafe Sour Ale Festival, which starts this Friday, May 9th. Normally, you might find a handful of sour beers at a Belgian beer festival but Brouwer's is featuring an unheard of 25-30 sours at once. This undoubtedly has sour beer enthusiasts (myself included) puckering up in anticipation. Here are some highlights:

• Several Cantillon lambics on draft along with several vintage bottles from the cellar
• Russian River's Deviation (Bottleworks IX)
• Selections from New Belgium Brewing include: La Folie (a wood-aged sour red), Eric's Ale (a sour peach), Le Terroir (wood-aged and dry-hopped sour brown) and a special version of Le Terroir called Foudre #3, which is not dry-hopped but instead transferred straight from the foudre to the keg (this beer was sent by New Belgium for Toronado's 20th Anniversary last year).
• Walkingman Bloot Voeste Bruin (a Belgian-style brown soured with Kombucha mushrooms)

In addition to these, expect some early surprises, perhaps some offerings from another renowned California brewery that knows it's way around Belgian-style beers (hint, hint)?

Brouwer's will serve the American sours in twelve ounce pours and the true Belgian lambics such as the Cantillons in six ounce portions. The festival will run until all the beers run dry. No telling how long that might be, but I'd say get there opening weekend if you can.