“There’s a new place in Westport that makes schnitzel, just like it’s made in Austria. Let’s meet there for dinner,” said our friend Robert, whose travels across Europe have given him a taste for hard-to-find Wiener Schnitzel.

We met the following week at Rothbard (rothbardct.com), a Rathskeller-style restaurant with brick walls, high windows, and a beamed ceiling at 90 Post Road East. The plate-covering schnitzel – pounded thin, lightly breaded, sautéed tender and golden brown with crispy darker edges – was delicious.

But that was not the most gratifying surprise.

Listing the beers on tap, our server mentioned a Kriek, one of the lambic family of sour beers, flavored with Morello cherries and made with traditional methods near Brussels, Belgium. Sours are fermented with wild yeast, which give them their characteristic tangy flavor and are barrel-aged for at least two years in large oak foeders (barrels).

Sour, you say? Doesn’t sound very appealing. None the less, these small production beers are some of the most sought after brews in the world. They’re not sour in the way of an unsweetened cranberry – bitter, mouth puckering, unpleasant. Instead, think of a refreshing Sancerre or Riesling with a complex nose and fruit flavors offset by a mouthwatering acidity – perfect with rich, northern European food.

kreik-de-jacobinsKriek, in particular, has the refreshing, fresh fruit excitement of the cherries in contrast to the tart zing of the wild yeast fermentation. Rothbard was offering Kriek des Jacobins, an excellent example, sometimes seen on store shelves but seldom found on tap. I ordered up a glass to have with my schnitzel and passed it around for all to taste. My fellow diners were pleasantly surprised at the natural cherry flavor and tart finish and agreed it was a perfect match.

The Petrus lineup at Total Wine

The Petrus lineup at Total Wine

The Kriek at Rothbard awakened my dormant interest in sour beer, so I looked for more to taste. On the shelves at Total Wine I found a six pack of assorted sour beers from Petrus, a well-respected, old-line Belgium brewery. Their Aged Pale, the mother beer of their family of flavors, has a rich gold color, a slightly fruity characteristically sour aroma, and a complex dry, tart, tangy finish. It’s considered a classic example of Belgian sour. Petrus Old Brun, a blend of the Aged Pale and young brown beer, is less sour with a darker color and malty caramel and vanilla notes – great with Cabot three-year cheddar. The pack also included an Aged Red – medium dark with a refreshing hint of cherries, as well as a bottle of 50/50 – a blend of the Aged Pale and Aged Red.

Kriek for tasting

Kriek for tasting

Since it was a Kriek that got me going on this, I rounded up a clutch of examples to survey the field. Kriek is made by fermenting the beer with fresh sour cherries or adding cherry juice to a finished lambic. The fresh cherries are the traditional approach taking more time and yielding a tart dry finish. The juice method takes less time and allows the brewery to control the fruit flavor and sweetness. Either method can yield a delicious drink.

Kriek Boon came in a champagne-style bottle with a wire cage holding in the cork, even though there was very little carbonation Made with fresh cherries, it was clean and bright with a natural fruit sweetness to contrast with the pleasantly dry sour lambic finish.

There aren’t many American breweries making Kriek, and those that do often restrict sales to their tasting room. I was surprised to see a Kriek named Rosetta from Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY. In the fine print I learned that it is imported from their sister brewery, Liefmans, in Belgium. Made with fresh cherries, it was well-carbonated with a sturdy head, brightly tinted with a refreshing flavor, and medium dry with a classic finish.

Timmermans, founded in 1702, makes Lambicus Kriek with a maraschino cherry aroma and taste. As a kid, I always gave away the cherry from my Shirley Temple and am still not fond of the maraschino cherry flavor. But if you are, this is the Kriek for you.

Widely distributed, Lindemans Kriek is well-balanced, but on the sweeter side. By the way, Kriek des Jacobins that I enjoyed on tap at Rothbard is also available by the bottle but hard to find (Try Harry’s in Fairfield).

Sour beers are difficult and time-consuming to make. The wild yeast that gives the distinctive flavor has to be managed carefully by a sure and experienced hand. With complex fermentation and barrel aging, the beers are pricey. Quantities are limited and, other than a few big brands, they go in and of stock quickly.

None the less, sour beers are growing in popularity. At Cask Republic in SoNo they keep one tap reserved for a changing roster of sours. Manager Dave told me that the category is “picking up steam” in recent years. At Rothbard in Westport, the bottled beer list includes 8 sours covering the field. Owner Joe Farrell told me that interest in sours is “increasing exponentially.” Of their four taps, at least one and sometimes two are devoted to this food-friendly category.

Definitely at their best with food, sour beers are worth a try. They may not be what you want at the ballpark or in the back yard, but their complex and nuanced flavors are an interesting alternative at the table.

tasting-sour-beers