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Richmond Opening Hours: Monday CLOSED, Tuesday-Thursday MIDDAY - 7PM, Friday & Saturday 11AM-8PM, Sunday MIDDAY-7PM. Parcels dispatched Tues-Friday.
Richmond Opening Hours: Monday CLOSED, Tuesday-Thursday MIDDAY - 7PM, Friday & Saturday 11AM-8PM, Sunday MIDDAY-7PM. Parcels dispatched Tues-Friday.
Sour Beer

Sour Beer

Sour has an intentionally acidic, tart or sour taste. The most common sour beer styles are Belgian: lambics, gueuze and Flanders red ale.

At one time, all beers were sour to some degree. As pure yeast cultures were not available, the starter used from one batch to another usually contained some wild yeast and bacteria. Unlike modern brewing, which is done in a sterile environment to guard against the intrusion of wild yeast, sour beers are made by intentionally allowing wild yeast strains or bacteria into the brew. Traditionally, Belgian brewers allowed wild yeast to enter the brew naturally through the barrels or during the cooling of the wort in a Koelschip open to the outside air – an unpredictable process that many modern brewers avoid.

The most common agents used to intentionally sour beer are Lactobacillus,  Brettanomyces and Pediococcus. Another method for achieving a tart flavor is adding fruit during the aging process to spur a secondary fermentation or contribute microbes present on the fruit's skin.

Because of the uncertainty involved in using wild yeast, the sour beer brewing process is extremely unpredictable. The beer takes months to ferment and can take years to mature.

  • Tilquin Oude Quetsche a l'Ancienne 750ml
    Gueuzerie Tilquin
    $59.99

    The Quetsche Tilquin � l�ancienne is a spontaneous fermentation beer obtained from the fermentation of destoned fresh purple plums in a blend of 1 ...

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    $59.99
  • RodenBach Grand Cru 330ml
    Rodenbach
    from $10.00

    A blend of 1/3 young beer and 2/3 of beer aged 2 years in large oak vats. The more important proportion of oak matured beer contributes to its frui...

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    from $10.00
  • Oud Beersel Oude Kriek 375ml
    Oud Beersel
    $16.99

    Oud Beersel Oude Kriek is an artisanal product, made from real cherries and Oud Beersel lambic matured in old barrels. They are slowly absorbed int...

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    $16.99
  • Oud Beersel Oude Geuze 375ml
    Oud Beersel
    $15.99

    Geuze is a classic among the Belgian Ales, following spontaneous fermentation in wooden barrels (no yeast or sugar added), young and old Lambic are...

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    $15.99
  • Lindemans Pecheresse 355ml
    Lindemans
    $14.00

    A golden peach lambic with a sparkling appearance and fruity taste.

    $14.00
  • Lindemans Kriek 355ml
    Lindemans
    $14.00

    A sparking cherry flavoured brew which is smooth and refreshing. Also sold as Foudroyante Kriek.Ingredients: Malt, wheat, 25% cherry juice, fructos...

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    $14.00
  • Lindemans Cassis 355ml
    Lindemans
    $14.99

    Lindemans Cassis is a lambic made from local barley, unmalted wheat, and wild yeast. After spontaneous fermentation the lambic is aged in oak. Blac...

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    $14.99
  • Garage Project White Mischief 330ml Can
    Garage Project
    from $5.99

    Kettle soured wheat, lightly salted and infused with white peaches - a delicate three way salty, sweet and sour balancing act. A little bit of whit...

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    from $5.99
  • Boon Kriek Mariage Parfait 375ml
    Brouwerij Boon
    $18.99

    Kriek Mariage Parfait is an Old Style Kriek of exceptional excellence. 400 g of wild cherries per litre are fermented together with a strong Lambic...

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    $18.99
  • Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose 355ml Can
    Anderson Valley
    from $6.99

    Born from our passion for experimentation, our Briney Melon Gose boasts a thirst-quenching tartness that is perfectly balanced by subtle watermelon...

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    from $6.99
  • Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose 355ml Can
    Anderson Valley
    from $6.99

    Our Blood Orange Gose is a tart, refreshing wheat ale that is kettle-soured with lactobacillus and brewed with sea salt and coriander. However, unl...

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    from $6.99
  • 8 Wired Cucumber Hippy Berliner 440ml Can - Purvis Beer
    8 Wired Brewing Co.
    from $10.50

    Our Hippy Berliner was such a success that we ebbed to consumer demand and brewed a special edition with the addition of cooling cucumber. Bursting...

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    from $10.50
  • La Sirène Paradoxe Sour Ale 375ml
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    La Sirène Brewing
    $9.99

    La Sir�ne's Paradoxe is a lively and lifted beer that encompasses our in-house natural souring method combined with a lovely Farmhouse style ale an...

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    $9.99
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  • Dollar Bill Grand Cru 375ml
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    Dollar Bill Brewing
    $29.99

    A blend of 3 year old mixed fermentation and 1 year old saison, aged 4 years in chardonnay barrels A very simple malt bill and single step infusion...

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    $29.99
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  • Almanac White Label 375ml
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    Almanac Beer Company
    $24.99

    This beer pairs two �blancs�: California-grown Muscat Blanc grapes and German Hallertau Blanc hops. Blended together in wine barrels and large oak ...

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    $24.99
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  • Brasserie Trois Dames Sauvageonne 2016 750ml
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    Brasserie Trois Dames
    $39.99

    Lambic inspired ale. 3 year old blend of sour ale. Solera ageing in Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels. Full of wild yeast & brettanomyces. Sauvag...

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    $39.99
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  • 8 Wired Once Upon A Time In Blenheim 500ml
    Sold out
    8 Wired Brewing Co.
    $23.99

    This is the last barrel aged beer we brewed in Blenheim, before uprooting and setting up a new brewery in the North. A 100% spontaneous fermented a...

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    $23.99
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  • 8 Wired Snake Charmer Barrel-Aged Sour Ale 2017 500ml
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    8 Wired Brewing Co.
    $23.99

    A sour ale brewed the traditional way. Aged in Pinot Noir barrels for 2 years with blackcurrants & a bunch of microbes, creating a complex mela...

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    $23.99
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  • Stomping Ground Guava Smash Gose 355ml Can
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    Stomping Ground Brewing Co
    from $4.99

    Guava Smash is here! We know it's autumn, but the sunshine is still here and we want to make the most of it. This super fresh Gose is made with Col...

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    from $4.99
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  • Tilquin Oude Mere a l'Ancienne 750ml
    Sold out
    Gueuzerie Tilquin
    $51.99

    Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Oude M�re Tilquin � l�Ancienne is made from the fermentation of 350 gr of blackberries by liter of lambic. Un...

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    $51.99
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  • Tilquin / Rulles Stout Rullquin 750ml
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    Gueuzerie Tilquin
    $49.99

    Beer of mixed fermentation, the Stout Rullquin is obtained from a blending of 7/8 of Rulles Brune (Stout de Gaume) and 1/8 of a blend of 1 year old...

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    $49.99
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  • Rodenbach Vintage 750ml
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    Rodenbach
    $38.99

    Rodenbach Vintage is the unique result of selection by our Rodenbach brew masters, the barrel after two years of maturation has produced the best b...

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    $38.99
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  • Rodenbach Caractere Rouge 750ml
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    Rodenbach
    $41.99

    The brewer allow the beer to macerate with fresh cherries, raspberries and cranberries. After this maceration in oak, the beer re-ferments in the b...

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    $41.99
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  • Petrus Sour Power Mixed 6PK
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    Brouwerij De Brabandere
    $34.99

    The Petrus Sour Power Six Pack Sampler features 4 of Global Beer's finest sour ale offerings brewed by Petrus. Included in the pack are three Petru...

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    $34.99
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  • Petrus Aged Pale Ale 330ml
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    Brouwerij De Brabandere
    from $11.99

    Aged? Many beers have a long maturation, but this one has only 24-36 months in oak barrels. Pale? This beer has an old gold to bronze color, rather...

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    from $11.99
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  • Mikkeller Spontanblueberry 375ml
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    Mikkeller
    $44.99

    In the spontan series we present SpontanBlueberry – this time, forming an alliance with blueberries that were generously added underway the brewing...

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    $44.99
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  • Lindemans Framboise 355ml
    Sold out
    Lindemans
    $14.50

    A clean natural tasting brew with undertones of fresh raspberries and a wonderful aroma.

    $14.50
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  • Lindemans Gueuze Cuvee Rene 375ml
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    Lindemans
    $16.50

    Gueuze Cuv�e Ren� is one of the jewels of our brewery. With its golden colour, its sparkle and its beautiful sherry aromas, this is the queen of gu...

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    $16.50
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  • Lindemans Gueuze 375ml
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    Lindemans
    $8.99

    There are several stories to explain the origin of the term 'gueuze'. This name dates back to the Rue de Gueuze in Brussels where, for the first ti...

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    $8.99
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  • Liefmans Kriek Brut 330ml
    Sold out
    Liefmans
    from $6.99

    This classy beer represents the perfect marriage between the fresh accents and slightly acidic flavour of the black cherries. Liefmans Kriek-Brut i...

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    from $6.99
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  • Lindemans Blossom Gueuze 750ml
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    Lindemans
    $36.99

    Breaking the mold among existing beer styles, Lindemans developed the Botanical Lambics, a collection of old gueuzes with a twist. Second in this s...

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    $36.99
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  • Liefmans Goudenband 330ml
    Sold out
    Liefmans
    $7.99

    Infinitely complex in aroma and flavor with notes of maltiness and tartness throughout. An unsurpassed old brown with the richness and complexity o...

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    $7.99
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  • Deschutes The Dissident 2016 Reserve 650ml
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    Deschutes Brewery
    $54.99

    Introducing our wildest brew yet, The Dissident 2016 is a distinctive Belgian-style brown ale. Fermented with wild yeast, we have to isolate this b...

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    $54.99
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  • Boatrocker Lord Raspberry 500ml
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    Boatrocker Brewers & Distillers
    $29.99

    A blend of 18 to 24 month old lambic style ales aged for a further two months on whole raspberries.Deliciously funky with bright acidity and raspbe...

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    $29.99
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  • Almanac Tangerine de Brettaville 375ml
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    Almanac Beer Company
    $22.99

    Tangerine de Brettaville celebrates the flavors of citrus in beer.  We start by brewing a funky brettanomyces fermented base beer in large oak foed...

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    $22.99
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  • Almanac Hoppy Sour Mosaic 375ml
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    Almanac Beer Company
    $21.50

    We love Mosaic hops. Originating from the Pacific Northwest, these American-grown hops explode with aromas of ripe mango, pineapple, and tangerine....

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    $21.50
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