Tart and tasty sour beers are your new best friend this summer. Originating in Europe hundreds of years ago, the sour beer is getting a refresh.

Sour beer hasn’t always been as easy drinking as it is today. Traditional styles of sour beer such as the Belgian lambic are known for their distinct flavour and low ABV. However, what they lose in strength they definitely make up for in taste.

Once reserved for seasoned beer geeks, sour beer is experiencing a resurgence in popularity internationally. Experimental in their nature, sour beers are made by allowing infections into the brew. Rather than adding the conventional amount of saccharomyces yeast into the brew, brewers of sours, lambics and goses count on the wild yeast spontaneously fermenting. The process can be fickle due to the unpredictability of the wild yeast, but done right you can definitely get down with a sour beer.

Got the sour bug? Here’s a list of some of Sydney’s best sour beers to get you started.

Wayward Brewing Co Sourpuss Berliner Weisse

3.8% ABV

Wayward’s take on the classic German sour style Berliner Weisse pours a hazy amber with a pinkish hue. It is tart to start with a sweet, berry taste and a malty finish, making this sour wheat beer sweet, dry and perfectly refreshing. Best served cold on a hot day in the city.

The Grifter Acid Drop

4.2% ABV

After a recipe for a steam ale left them with a lot of wort, the guys at Grifter created their take on the sour beer style – Acid Drop. Pouring a cloudy pastel pale, this kettle sour is a lip-smacker. A popular choice at the brewery, it has a sharp and acidic taste that will keep you coming back for more.

Nomad Freshie Salt ‘n’ Pepper Gose

4.5% ABV

The addition of salt is what makes a gose differ from other sour beers. Northern Beaches brewery Nomad decided to give that an Australia overhaul – adding seawater from their local Freshwater beach and Tasmanian pepper berries. Their experiment paid off, producing a light sour that is very easy-drinking with a citrus zing and a salty finish.

Willie The Boatman Old Salty Rockmelon Gose

4% ABV

Thought to be 1,000 years old, the German Gose is making a comeback. Willie the Boatman have showed their appreciation of the traditional style by making a few fruity tweaks to their Old Salty Gose. The Old Salty Rockmelon version pours a hazy gold with low carbonation making for a mellow sour with a definite melon kick. The more you drink the more flavoursome the beer becomes, and that is what really makes it great.

Batch Brewing Co. 2Peach Shakur ft. Nectorious BIG

4.8% ABV

Batch’s range of fruity sours are popular with seasoned craft beer fans and new beer drinkers. Their newest sour beer is packed with Superlady peaches and sweet nectarines that make a tart, refreshingly fruity brew. The 2Peach follows sought after sours A Tribe Called Fruit, Mango Mathers and most recently their anniversary brew Chapeau.

With more brewers brewing bretted wonders, sour beers are here to stay. Click here to check out some breweries in Sydney and get your sour beer fix.