On Tap (May 24th)

Check out this week’s On Tap column for The Advocate that’s published here.

Sour Summer — six kettle sours you should try to beat the summer heat

Though the calendar says May, the thermometer clearly says summer has returned. With the sun beating down and mercury soaring, I’ve put down the big stouts and picked up lighter, more refreshing beers.

And there are few beers more refreshing than a kettle sour.

What is a kettle sour? Well, as opposed to a traditional sour, which can take months (sometimes years) to complete, kettle sours are brewed quickly with slight modification to the traditional brewing schedule.

Lactobacillus bacteria (commonly found in yogurt and other probiotics) is added to the unfermented beer (wort), which spurs the creation of lactic acid and drops the pH. This process takes a day or two, then the wort is boiled and fermented with traditional ale yeast. The result is a pleasant, refreshing tartness.

Two types of kettle sours I enjoy are the Berliner Weisse (brewed

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