Sour Summer: Five Sour Craft Beers to Beat the Heat

Featured image courtesy of Braxton Brewing Co.

For most, the hot summer months mean moving to lighter beers. It makes sense that a light, crisp, refreshing beer is better when you are in the sun, but that doesn’t mean you have to default to a light lager or blonde ale. Many other styles fit the hot summer months just as well, such as sour craft beers. And I am not talking about the traditional sours like lambics but rather kettle sours (aka quick sours). There’s been a huge influx of this type of beer and I think they are a great fit for a hot summer day because they offer low ABV, are ideally drank cold, and provide a crisp, refreshing taste that fights off the effects of the hot summer sun.

Here in Cincinnati, we have a lot of great options that fit this style. Plus, these beers are easy to bring along when you are enjoying the outdoors. Here are five of my favorite Cincinnati summer sours.

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The Weekly Buzz | May 26 – June 1

There were lots of event announcements this week! In fact, there were so many that I am positive I missed some. Don’t fret, dear reader. Unless you’re some kind of maniac, there are enough events here to last you a few months. If you ARE some kind of maniac, I definitely want to party with you! The rest of you should sip a beer and gently prepare your liver for this edition of The Weekly Buzz.

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Rivertown Brewery & Barrel House | Sour Noir

Cincinnati is approaching 40 breweries, which is an amazing feat for my city. One of the breweries that has been around since the beginning of the craft beer boom is … Read More

Ultimate 6er | The 6 Stages of Cleveland Browns Fandom

As summer comes to a close and we make our way into fall, one thing becomes more imminent than anything: FOOTBALL. And what better way to celebrate the advent of a new season than with some brews? As a native Clevelander and lifelong Browns fan, I know the football season brings with it a roller coaster of experiences spanning across a wide spectrum. So, in anticipation of another grueling season, I present to you the 6 Stages of Cleveland Browns Fandom, as described by beer.
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2015 Cincinnati Beer Week | BlackTart

Cincinnati Beer Week | BlackTart

Tart Stout

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: 18

“An amalgamation of breweries. A dichotomous combination of flavors. Tart and refreshing yet full bodied and malty. … Read More

Ultimate 6er | The Cincinnati Session

Summer is the perfect time for relaxing, exploring, and utilizing every minute of the beautiful long days and nights. People turn into early risers to take advantage of every part of the day to try new things and see new places. One of the best accompaniments to these long adventurous days is great beer. If you live in a great city it is often easy to find something new and always fun to show visiting friends how awesome your city is, and the best way to it is by showcasing a local beer every step of the way. This Ultimate 6er is dedicated to the great session ales Cincinnati has to offer.

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Chocolate Pretzel Beer Toffee

We would like to wish our staff writer Karen Lai a very special congratulations on her engagement last night.  Karen started with PorchDrinking when we first formed and is considered Tristan’s faux-sister.  Earlier this year she wrote about cooking Chocolate Pretzel Beer Toffee with Rivertown Brewing’s Hop Bomber Pale Ale.  Here’s that post and once again a very special congratulations to Karen and Sam!

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Rivertown Brewery & Barrel House | Hop Bomber Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5% | IBU: 60

Okay, here’s the thing: I’m not exactly what you would call a “beer expert.” I couldn’t tell you the difference between an IPA and an APA, and I don’t actually know what IBU’s are—I just googled that number. That being said, I do enjoy beer and I really enjoy my pal Tristan—so when he asked me if I wanted to participate in the PorchDrinking website, of course, I had to say yes (after first checking to make sure he was serious). Read More