The Best Sour Beers In 2023
Craft beer as a drink category is expansive and full of different sub-genres based on how the beer is brewed and what flavors are infused in it. The realm of sour beer alone is diverse — even though you might expect all sour beers to have you puckering your lips after just one sip, these beers actually express a range of different flavors. The qualifications for sour beer are pretty basic — it's brewed with wild yeast that, essentially, creates unexpected tastes.
Some sour beers might be reminiscent of sugary gummy candy or of biting into a fresh lemon slice, but not all of them are overtly sour on the tongue. Like most categories of craft beer, there are several styles of sour beer that taste different from each other.
We decided to break down the best sour beers of 2023. Whether they're bottles that have been brewed for decades or new releases, there is bound to be at least one bottle that will tempt you to crack it open.
How we selected products
With so many craft beers on the market, we took an organized approach to figuring out the best of the best. The list includes sour beers that are brewed with different fruits and some beers that taste like classic desserts with a tart twist. The beers on the list also range from more basic to more adventurous, depending on your palate and tolerance for acidity.
To find the best of the best in these categories, we relied a lot on the tasting notes from happy customers. Press coverage, user reviews, and customer satisfaction reports on websites like Untappd and Drizly were essential tools for figuring out which beers stood out from the crowd. We also tried to select beers that weren't too hard to find, even though some are sold on a seasonal basis, so that you can hopefully try one or all of the top beers that made the list without too much trouble.
Best overall sour beer
The beauty of sour beer is that no two brews are exactly the same. It's why the folks at Allagash Brewing prefer to call them "wild ales," as the beers are fermented using natural wild yeast from the atmosphere. Regardless of whether you call it sour or wild, Allagash's Coolship Resurgam is one of the best sour beers you can find. The beer is a blend of three ales that are each aged for different amounts of time in French oak wine barrels.
Coolship Resurgam is a bit boozier than the average beer, containing 6.3% ABV. The taste is funky, but is paired with fruity flavors like apricots and fresh lemons to make it more enticing. "Extremely well balanced, but still very complex and deep," one Beer Advocate review of the brew reads. "Overall, a superb lambic, one of the best American versions I've had."
A 375-milliliter bottle of Allagash Coolship Resurgam sells for $17 on Drizly as of January 2023.
Best introductory sour beer
Some sour beers sound more like science experiments rather than refreshing beverages. It's not that they're bad, it just might be difficult for someone perusing the craft beer aisle to narrow it down to one sour ale to enjoy that they are guaranteed to like. One safe bet that is typically pretty widely available is Sierra Nevada Brewing's Wild Little Thing. The bright pink can is perfect for the 5.5% ABV brew inside that is tart and refreshing, almost in the same vein as lemonade.
Wild Little Thing uses an accelerated kettle souring technique, which results in the brew containing tart lactic acid that adds to its robust mouthfeel. The stand-out flavors are strawberry, hibiscus, and guava which channel all of the best tropical pink flavor notes. "This is a solid beer as a sour," one Beer Advocate review of Wild Little Thing reads. "The overall body and feel isn't too heavy and all the ingredients blend together nicely. Great for summer!"
A six-pack of Sierra Nevada Wild Little Thing sells on Total Wine for $12 as of January 2023.
Best gose
Gose beers are German-style sour beers that have a savory quality to them, as they are typically brewed with sea salt. A great expression from the U.S. is Two Roads Brewing's Persian Lime Gose. It's a 4.5% ABV beer that is refreshing and balanced. The salt is definitely present but pairs well with fresh Persian lime juice which is the stand-out.
The brewers add flaked rye to incorporate even more spice into the background, but this gose is really memorable for its bright and thirst-quenching qualities. "Taste is big lime ... almost key lime pie quality with plenty of pie crust. Light-bodied, sweet, high carbonation. Great dessert beer. Would get again," one Beer Advocate review of the Two Roads beer reads. This would also make for a refreshing summer sipper.
Total Wine sells a four-pack of 16-ounce cans of Two Roads Persian Lime Gose for $13 as of January 2023.
Best saison
A saison is a style of beer that's also up for interpretation, and not all saison-style brews will have noticeably sour or tart tastes. A saison is a style of farmhouse ale that originated in Belgium that typically is low in ABV, light, and dry like a nice wine (via Hop Culture). One of the most legendary expressions of a saison is the Saison Dupont, which has been around since the 1840s.
It's a 6.5% ABV blonde ale that is marked with baking spices like cloves and citrus fruits like grapefruit. The sour beer is not particularly sweet but has a nice tartness that fits well with its light and carbonated mouthfeel. "This is my favorite beer, full stop. The Platonic ideal of a Farmhouse Ale," one Total Wine customer wrote in a review of Saison Dupont.
Total Wine sells a 375 mL bottle of Saison Dupont for $7.50 as of January 2023.
Best Berliner Weisse
Berliner Weisse is a style of German wheat beer that is typically sour and fruity without hiding too much alcohol in the background (via Craft Beer & Brewing). A tropical expression of the style that's downright delicious comes from Night Shift Brewing Company in Massachusetts. The brand's Ever Weisse beer is a 4.6% ABV brew that contains plenty of floral and fruity notes like kiwi, strawberry, and hibiscus in one tart drink.
Ever Weisse is like drinking the beer equivalent of a smoothie without feeling too heavy, boozy, or overwhelming. "For what it is, it's great. This isn't anything overly complex or some pretentious b******t, just a damn solid fruited Weisse that is super light and refreshing. Night Shift are truly elite," one Beer Advocate review reads.
A four-pack of 16-ounce cans of Night Shift Ever Weisse sells for $15 at Total Wine as of January 2023.
Best Flanders red ale
The Flanders red ale style of sour beer is pretty self explanatory — it has roots in West Flanders, Belgium and uses a red malt to give the beer its signature hue. The purest expression of this style is Rodenbach Classic red ale, which has been brewed since 1821 (via Swinkels Family Brewers). It is sweet and sour in a way that's similar to wine, but the characteristic malty and funky notes remind you it's a wild beer.
Rodenbach Classic contains 5.2% ABV and is a blended beer — 3/4 is comprised of young beer while 1/4 is beer matured for two years in oak barrels. The result is robust and always hits the spot. "Phenomenal sour. Not too sour but amazing flavor," one Untappd user wrote in a review of the brew.
A four-pack of 16-ounce cans of Rodenbach Classic red ale sells for $12 at Total Wine as of January 2023.
Best sour IPA
A sour IPA might sound like an oxymoron. IPAs tend to be bitter and hoppy while sours are tart and funky. Epic Brewing in Salt Lake City, Utah did the impossible with its Epic Tart n' Juicy Sour IPA that is both styles in one pour. The 4.5% beer is aided in flavor by plenty of citrus notes of grapefruit and tangerine which bring out the hops and the funk.
There is more tropical sweetness in this sour IPA thanks to notes of passionfruit and agave, but it's one of those beers you have to taste to really understand. "It's the best of both worlds. The true fruity flavor of a sour + the power and bite of an IPA but it doesn't leave you bloated. It's perfect," one Total Wine customer wrote in a review of Epic Tart n' Juicy Sour IPA.
A six-pack of Epic Brewing's Tart 'n Juicy Sour IPA sells for $12 at Total Wine as of January 2023.
Best dark sour beer
The category of dark sour beers can be cause for a lot of debate thanks to its murkiness. However, we wanted to shout out those sour beers that are aged a little longer than the usual Flanders red ales. New Belgium Brewing's La Folie is the prime example of the style. It's a Flanders-style brown ale that is aged in French barrels for several years, giving it a deep brown hue.
"La Folie" is French for "eccentric madness," which totally describes the vibes of the one-of-a-kind brew. The stand-out notes are cherries and green apples, with a bit of oak from the aging. It also sits at 6.5% ABV. "La Folie is not only my favorite sour beer, it's my standard. Very few can compete," one Drizly customer wrote in a review.
A 375-milliliter bottle of New Belgium La Folie sells for $10 on Drizly as of January 2023.
Best lambic beer
Lambic beers are another centuries-old Belgian style of sours. Lambics are typically created using spontaneous fermentation with wild yeast, meaning that Mother Nature is the ultimate taste factor. They are also usually then aged in oak barrels to deepen the flavors (via Hop Culture).
One lambic with rave reviews that also has a fruity twist is pFriem Frambozen. It's the beer version of raspberry jam with aromatic qualities like lavender that are complimentary. The 5.7% ABV beer is aged in French oak barrels for nine months before the brewery adds tons of fresh raspberries into the bottle to age for another two months. The result is a tart and fruity beer that isn't too puckering, but a must-try for berry fanatics. "Sourness is on the softer side. Fruit comes through well. Nice lambic," one Untappd user wrote in a review of pFriem Frambozen.
A 375-milliliter bottle of pFriem Frambozen sells for $12 on Drizly as of January 2023.
Best sour beer inspired by dessert
Some people will jump at the idea of being able to drink their dessert, especially in beer form. It's possible to have your pie and drink it too thanks to the South Carolina-based brewers at Westbrook Brewing and their Key Lime Pie Gose. It's a lighter option on the list, containing just 4% ABV, but it tastes as close as it gets to biting into a slice of puckering pie.
Westbrook's Key Lime Pie Gose is obviously bursting with key lime flavors, but it's paired with notes of salt, vanilla, and cinnamon to channel the warm and slightly spicy crust as well as the tart pie filling. "A margarita and a pie! Sour, sweet and smooth," one Untappd user wrote in a review of Westbrook's Key Lime Pie Gose.
A four-pack of 16-ounce cans of Westbrook Key Lime Pie Gose sells for $11 on Drizly as of January 2023.
Best sour beer inspired by a cocktail
If you'd rather have a sour beer that tastes more like a strong cocktail without the high ABV, Gnarly Barley's Mango Margarita Gose might be calling your name. The Louisiana-born brew has all of the notes you'd expect from a well-made margarita — lime juice, mango fruit, and even a bit of salt like the rim of a glass.
Gnarly Barley's flavors are so spot-on that you might be able to fool your friends by pouring this beer into a cocktail glass and pretending like it's a tequila cocktail. However, all you really did was crack open a can. "Best Gose I've tasted. Fantastic. Smells and tastes just like margarita but not too tart. Digging it," one Untappd user wrote in a review of the Gnarly Barley blend.
A four-pack of 16 oz cans of Gnarly Barley Mango Margarita Gose sells for $17 from the brewery.
Best citrus sour beer
There is no shortage of citrus-infused sour beers to add even more acidity to a puckering pint, but there are some stand-outs that are most memorable from the pack. One must-try can is the Blood Orange Gose from Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Firstly, blood orange in and of itself is a more unusual ingredient than the usual lemons and limes.
Aside from the novelty, the 4.2% ABV beer earned itself a place on the list for its flavor. It's like you cracked open the can and squeezed in half of a blood orange by yourself before taking a sip. "My favorite beer ever! I didn't know I liked sour beer until I had this one," one Total Wine customer wrote in a review of the can. Anderson Valley Brewing Company has several fruit-infused flavors of its gose, like cherry and briny melon, so there's something for every palate.
Total Wine sells Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose in six-packs of 12-ounce cans for $10 as of January 2023.
Best tropical sour beer
Tropical fruit-infused sour beers are also popular pickups from the craft beer aisle, especially to quench your thirst on a hot summer day. One exceptional expression is the Sonoma Tart from Bear Republic. The California brewery takes inspiration from dry white wines to create this light beer that's complemented by flavors of guava and passion fruit.
The 5.2% ABV beverage is tart and bright without being overly sweet like many fruity sour beers, and the complex flavors of passion fruit and guava add so much subtle depth to the blend. It's also a great beer to drink with food. "This is a great intro to sour beers but also refreshing and light enough to have whenever and with just about anything," one Total Wine customer wrote in a review of Sonoma Tart.
A six-pack of 12-ounce bottles of Bear Republic Sonoma Tart sells for $11 at Total Wine as of January 2023.
Best berry sour beer
We've already shouted out a few sour beers that are infused with berry flavors, but there are so many good options that we had to make room for one more. Firestone Walker's Bretta Rosé is an ale that's absolutely loaded with fresh raspberry flavors that are slow fermented with Bretta Weise beer.
The 5.3% ABV beer is as pink as you'd expect. While the fruit flavors are dominant, it is more dry than sweet, making the flavors feel complex and not too much like dessert. "This is a beer that progresses from super raspberry semi-sweetness and then transitions to the drier and earthier oak and yeast. The tartness is there throughout. Very tasty to drink," one Beer Advocate user wrote in a review of the Bretta Rosé.
A 375-milliliter bottle of Firestone Walker's Bretta Rosé sells for $15 on Total Wine as of January 2023.
Best cherry sour beer
Cherry beer can be an acquired taste. If executed poorly, it can taste like malty cough syrup. A brew like The Lost Abbey's Red Poppy is perfect to exceed those sad expectations for sour cherry beer. It's a 6.5% ABV brown ale that's aged for more than a year in oak barrels and brewed with cherries and poppy seeds, giving it a lot of depth.
Red Poppy is sharp almost like vinegar but complemented by the sweet flavors of cherries and vanilla. "There's a definite red wine element to it also, which provides some depth I enjoy. The taste closes with a fairly tart, drying finish that lets just a little of the cherry juice linger," one Beer Advocate review of Red Poppy reads. This is a special beer, but one that may not please everyone.
A 375-milliliter bottle of The Lost Abbey's Red Poppy Ale sells for $14 on Total Wine as of January 2023.
Best sour beer for picky people
Unlike the last slide, not everyone is looking to drink a complex sour beer with vinegary qualities on an average day. Sometimes, you want to indulge in a sour beer that just tastes refreshing and uncomplicated. Dogfish Head Brewery's SeaQuench Ale is exactly the can for the occasion.
The 4.9% ABV beer has typical tasting notes like lime juice and sea salt, but the secret ingredient is the inclusion of black limes, which are a bit bitter. "The lime is fresh and there's a vague salty note that balances it all out. I keep coming back to it when I want something refreshing, but don't want another freaking hard seltzer," one Drizly customer wrote in a review of Seaquench Ale. The black limes are just intriguing enough to add excitement to this beer without making it to weird for the average drinker.
A six-pack of Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale Session Sour sells for $12 on Drizly as of January 2023.
Best sour beer for adventurous palates
There are plenty of beers in the sour category featuring unexpected ingredients for those people that want to drink something different. You may not even be familiar with a pawpaw fruit, but you'd be willing to try one in beer form like Upland Brewing's Pawpaw ale. The barrel-aged sour is about 6.5% ABV and is infused with fresh pawpaws from Indiana.
Pawpaws are a fruit native to North America that tastes like mango, banana, and melon all in one. Upland Brewing infuses its sour blonde ale with the fresh fruits, which are not commercially cultivated and therefore have to be foraged. The result definitely proves all of that work was worth it. "Probably the best sipping sour ale I have ever had. Explosion of tart sour fruit up front, then suddenly a fantastic yeasty oat malt finish kicks in," one Beer Advocate review of Pawpaw ale reads.
A 750-milliliter bottle of Pawpaw ale sells for $25 from Upland Brewing as of January 2023.