The Absolute Best Sour Beers For Cider Drinkers

Anderson Valley's Gose series

If you enjoy dry hard ciders, the Gose varieties from Anderson Valley present a great alternative. Gose beer is a unique type of sour beer brewed with Lactobacillus bacteria, which imparts a tangy, sour taste due to the lactic acid it contributes to the beverage. Anderson Valley offers a whole range of Gose beers, each featuring distinct fruity notes.

The brewery's flagship Gose, Holy Gose, blends zesty lemon flavors with tropical fruit undertones, resulting in a particularly invigorating drink. The Briney Melon Gose combines hints of watermelon with a touch of sea salt to balance the sweetness, while the Cherry Gose achieves a similar sweet-salty harmony with cherries and sea salt. The Framboise Rose Gose boasts the most floral profile, yet remains delightfully tart thanks to the addition of raspberries. The Blood Orange Gose stands out as the most citrus-forward option.

The flavors of sour beers can differ based on the brewing process, the types of flavoring ingredients like fruit, and even the specific strain of bacteria used during fermentation. Anderson Valley provides a variety pack, allowing you to sample different sour beer styles. "If you typically enjoy 12-ounce cans of cider, consider trying Anderson Valley's Gose series for a fuller body, a savory twist, and a familiar fruity acidity reminiscent of many dry craft ciders," suggests Jordan Smith, founder and beverage consultant at Bevlebrity.

Lindemans Framboise and Peche

Lambic beer is an excellent option for those who enjoy cider. "Wheat-based lambic beers are a great choice for balancing fruitiness and sourness," explains Tom Acitelli, author of The Golden Age of Beer. "Cider enthusiasts will appreciate the similarities: it's tart, refreshing, and leaves a lasting impression on the palate, with a light, dry texture." Originating in Belgium, lambic beers are often sweet, primarily due to the addition of various fruits.

Lindemans Peche offers a unique crispness reminiscent of cider, complemented by a generous sweetness from peaches. It also carries a subtle tartness, a result of the fermentation process and the specific bacteria used in crafting this sour beer. Lindemans has been specializing in lambics since 1822, and while it's brewed in Belgium, you can easily find it in stores or have it shipped to your home. Acitelli also suggests Lindemans Framboise for cider fans, as it features delightful raspberry notes.

3 Fonteinen

If you enjoy Basque cider, known for its pronounced tartness and unique flavor profile compared to other cider varieties, consider trying 3 Fonteinen lambic beer. Brewed in Belgium, it features a tangy citrus flavor with a hint of funk. The double-fermented bottles can be quite sweet, making them an excellent choice for those who prefer a fruit-forward cider.

Although it can be on the expensive side, 3 Fonteinen is a fantastic option for special occasions. It is available in large bottles for sharing, as well as mixed packs of 12. While it may be a bit challenging to find, discovering this distinctive brew is well worth the effort. "Treat yourself to a multi-vintage geuze from Belgium!" said Jordan Smith. "I appreciate the minerality and well-balanced oak character of 3 Fonteinen."

"The acidity may vary slightly, but you'll notice many similarities to Basque cider, and 3 Fonteinen Geuze is available in 750ml bottles, perfect for sharing at the dinner table," Smith added.

Thornbridge Brewery Florida Weisse

Raspberries take center stage in the Florida Weisse from Thornbridge Brewery. This sour beer boasts a smooth texture complemented by a delightful tartness from the small fruit. Its vibrant pink hue is a direct result of the raspberries. If you're in search of a fun beer for a themed gathering, this is a fantastic option. You can visit the taproom to taste the Florida Weisse and enjoy some artisanal pizza, but you'll need to make a trip to the U.K. Luckily, they also distribute to 40 different regions worldwide, so you can find Thornbridge Brewery selections at select specialty stores.

This beer is a great choice for those new to sour brews, as it is heavily fruit-infused. If you enjoy fruity ciders with additions like blackberries or raspberries, you may find it easier to transition to this sour beer. It also offers a pleasant balance of sweetness alongside its tart flavor.

Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale

A great introductory sour beer is the Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale. This unique brew is a blend of three beer styles: Kölsch, Gose, and Berliner Weisse. The result is a refreshing drink with a notable tartness, reminiscent of hard cider. Infused with black limes and lime juice, it appeals to those who enjoy the tangy kick that citrus can add to beverages. Dogfish Head also suggests it for margarita lovers, as it features a subtly salty finish that evokes the taste of a well-prepared margarita.

Additionally, Dogfish Head is more widely available than many small-batch craft beers. You can visit the brewery's tasting room in Delaware or find SeaQuench Ale at your local distributor. It's stocked in major grocery stores and can also be ordered online, making it one of the easiest sour beers to find.

Allagash Brewing Company Avancé

The Allagash Brewing Company Avancé is a highly fruity sour beer, enhanced by the addition of strawberries at various stages of the fermentation process. Its sweetness is elevated by ingredients like molasses, date sugar, white cane sugar, and dark rock candy, making it a delightful choice for those who enjoy sweet and fruity ciders. Aged in oak, it also offers a slightly richer finish. However, be aware that it has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 8%, which is relatively high for beer.

One thing to note is that you may need to search a bit to find it. Allagash Brewing Company has a variety of other sour beer options, such as Heart of Hearts, which features raspberries, and the darker cherry-blackberry blend known as Stories Told. You can also compare it with Allagash Cider. With their extensive experience in brewing with fruit, it’s no surprise that this brewery creates a sour ale that resonates with cider enthusiasts.

Boon Brewery's Kriek

Another lambic beer that cider enthusiasts will appreciate for its crisp, tart flavor is Boon Brewery's Kriek. This brew is infused with fresh cherries added during the production process, resulting in a vibrant pink beer with notes of cherry and almond. It caters to those who prefer sweeter ciders over dry ones, while still offering a refreshing, crisp finish. Boon Brewery suggests enjoying it as a summer beer, thanks to its lower alcohol content of 4% and its bright flavor profile. It's incredibly smooth and easy to drink.

Boon Brewery is situated just outside of Brussels, where they craft lambics using traditional spontaneous fermentation methods. The beer is available in large bottles and 20-liter kegs, making it a great option for serving a crowd if you're a lambic lover. However, since it's imported, you may need to put in some extra effort to find it or wait a bit longer for shipping.

Night Shift Brewing's sour series

Berliner Weisse is a type of sour beer that cider enthusiasts will enjoy for its flavor and mouthfeel. "Similar to cider, it has a low carbonation level, pouring almost flat and maintaining that characteristic," notes Tom Acitelli. "You can expect subtle notes of breadiness and a tartness reminiscent of apples." He suggests trying Night Shift Brewing's sour series, which features four varieties, all sharing the same sour, tangy profile. Like cider, these beers are also low in carbonation, making them smooth and easy to sip. The brewery experiments with various fruit combinations, releasing them annually as limited edition sour ales. Past offerings have included pomegranate, blood orange, raspberries, limes, and more.

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Night Shift Brewing distributes its products across the U.S., making it more accessible than Berliner Weisse beers produced in Berlin, the style's birthplace. All of these beers have an ABV of 7%, placing them on the higher end of the beer spectrum.

West Sixth's Berliner Weisse

West Sixth's Berliner Weisse is a refreshing, light beer that's easy to enjoy. If you're a fan of sourdough bread, you'll likely savor the tangy notes of this Berliner Weisse, which features a similar sourness along with hints of wheat. Like many sour beers, it undergoes fermentation with lactobacillus bacteria.

Tom Acitelli suggests savoring this beer style as you would a cool beverage on a hot summer day. "Follow the German tradition: drink Berliner Weisse through straws," he recommends. He also notes that you can enhance the drink with raspberry or woodruff syrup, a classic German herbal syrup that adds both color and flavor.

The traditional Berliner Weisse is one of the staple offerings at West Sixth, based in Kentucky. If you prefer ciders with a citrus twist, consider trying the Valencia Berliner Weisse, which incorporates Valencia oranges into the brewing process. It maintains the same sour-tart profile and wheat characteristics. For those who enjoy a more intensely tart cider, the Cranberry Sour sour ale is a great choice, while still retaining the bread-like quality that adds some body to the beer.

Westbrook Gose

The Westbrook Gose sour beer features a salty note due to the generous use of sea salt during brewing, adding an extra dimension of flavor alongside its tartness. Unlike most ciders, the standard gose is less sweet, making it a great option for those who enjoy drier ciders. However, fans of sweeter, fruitier ciders may find one of the specialty gose varieties more appealing.

Westbrook offers a lemon cucumber gose that incorporates additional ingredients for a refreshing twist on this beer style, perfect for those seeking vibrant flavors. The orange hibiscus gose introduces citrus and floral notes, while the cherry pie gose leans towards sweetness with the addition of cherry puree, vanilla, and cinnamon.

"Another German-style wheat beer, it has a salty and intensely bitter profile, with a dryness on the palate reminiscent of a filtered cider," explains Tom Acitelli regarding Westbrook's traditional gose. While it lacks the sweet, fruit-forward flavor typically associated with cider, it remains just as crisp and includes a hint of spice from coriander in the recipe.

New Belgium La Folie

New Belgium La Folie is a robust sour beer that rivals the tart crispness of hard cider. This brew features apple notes, complemented by an oaky flavor derived from its aging in French wine barrels. A medley of fruits emerges in the flavor profile, including intensely tart green apple, cherry, and plum. Its color is richer than many other sour beers, particularly those infused with fruit, and it offers a smooth finish following the initial tartness.

Damien Zouaoui, co-founder of Oakwell Beer Spa, describes it as "strongly acidic, with flavors of apples, cherries, and oak. Its high acidity, combined with a touch of funkiness, makes it an outstanding choice." The La Folie Reserve is crafted each year using the finest ingredients and special touches to create a truly distinctive brew.

Brewed in Colorado, New Belgium is best known for its popular Fat Tire ale, and it also has a tasting room in Asheville, North Carolina. Zouaoui notes, "La Folie is a beer produced by New Belgium since 1997, fermented in large wooden vats, which imparts depth and a signature tartness to the brew."

Crooked Stave Sour Rosé

Crooked Stave's Sour Rosé features vibrant notes of raspberries and blueberries, delivering a burst of fruity flavor with a crisp, refreshing finish. This brew has a bit more effervescence and serves as a delightful substitute for sparkling hard cider, aged in wooden barrels to prevent excessive sweetness.

"It's bright and refreshing, showcasing a lovely rosé hue when poured," says Damien Zouaoui. "The use of oak barrels for aging Sour Rosé adds complexity and depth, making it appealing to cider enthusiasts."

The brewery offers a wide array of fruited sour ales. "Crooked Stave Brewery is a pioneer in sour beer, focusing on mixed fermentation and barrel aging," Zouaoui notes. The brewery has even contributed to Denver's reputation as a must-visit city for beer lovers. If you're looking for something even more vibrant, you can try the Sour Rosé Lemonade, which offers a similar flavor profile with a hint of lemon. The Petite Sour Blueberry undergoes double fermentation with fresh Washington blueberries and wild yeast. The Spon, part of the cellar series, relies on spontaneous fermentation, akin to traditional lambic. While some of these brews may be limited releases or seasonal, they are certainly worth seeking out as an alternative to cider.

Avery Brewing sours

Avery Brewing Company offers a wide variety of distinctive fruited sour beers, ensuring there's something for every cider enthusiast. If you're in the mood for a berry flavor, consider trying Avery Brewing's Raspberry Sour. This brew is tart and acidic, reminiscent of cider, but gains added complexity from the oak barrel aging process. Alongside the raspberry's tartness, Damien Zouaoui highlights its "zesty acidity and subtle maltiness," which results from lactic acid production during fermentation.

"Renowned for their small-batch creations, Avery Brewing's Raspberry Sour truly captures the essence of fresh, juicy raspberries in every sip," Zouaoui remarks. However, due to its limited production, it may be challenging to find, particularly if you're located far from the brewery in Colorado. Other noteworthy options from Avery Brewing for cider aficionados include Electric Sunshine, featuring tropical fruits like kiwi, papaya, and pineapple, and the Cool Summer brew, which blends refreshing cucumber with sweet hibiscus. Additionally, there are several sour ales in their barrel-aged series that incorporate various fruits and a wide array of wooden barrels. These releases are quite limited and can be difficult to locate outside the brewery.