Say Goodbye to Bitter: The 10 Best Sour Beers in America

Just a few years ago finding a Stone Arrogant Bastard or a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA at your local bar was cause for celebration. But now that America has collectively embraced the hop-infused punch of craft beer, what used to be special has become the norm. Still, even if you've tried every "aggressive" ale out there, you're probably still on the hunt for new experiences.

Enter: Sour beer, an ultra-intense class of brews that gets its character from a long aging process and wild lambic yeast. These beers have been made in Belgium for hundreds of years, but American breweries have begun pushing the technique to wild new places. While first-timers may think they taste vaguely like Pixie Stix (and hey, they sort of do!), give them a chance and they could quickly become your standard order. Here are 10 of the best you can find right now in the States. Pucker up!

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Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Location: Portland, Maine
Flavors: Citrus, pepper, malty
ABV: 7.5 percent

Allagash's Confluence mixes Belgian yeast with their own special Brettanomyces strain. The result is a beer that's bright and flavorful, but has quite a bit of depth to it. It's known as a Belgian-style strong ale, but it's flavors don't kick you in the face. Instead, it's a highly-drinkable sour with more character than your average Belgian.

Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
Location: Santa Rosa, Calif.
Flavors: Pinot noir, cherries, oak
ABV: 7 percent

Russian River Brewing Company may be the most exciting brewery in the entire world—and that's not hyperbole. This Northern California institution does more wickedly weird things with barley, water, and yeast than just about anyone else. Supplication is a beautiful sour with a drinkable-but-sturdy 7% ABV. Like most sours, it's tart and intense, so you may only want a pint or two before moving on to something easier on the palate. If you're a wine drinker, this might be a great place to start your sour appreciation, since it's aged in pinot noir oak barrels.

Brewery: Goose Island
Location: Chicago
Flavors: Rye, cabernet sauvignon, blackberry, Brettanomyces yeast
ABV: 8 percent

At 8 percent, Juliet has a fairly serious amount of alcohol by volume, but it's a testament to the good folks at Goose Island that you'd never know it. This refreshing sour has a tart nose and bright, fruity finish. Brettanomyces yeast is known for it seriously funky flavor, but the Juliet is well balanced and surprisingly drinkable.

Brewery: Cascade Brewing Company
Location: Portland, OR
Flavors: Bourbon, cherry, pinot noir
ABV: 9.5 percent

As its name would suggest, Sang Noir is aged in whiskey and pinot barrels to provide its unique character. To that end, you definitely get a hint of bourbon, which adds depth to this robust brew. (If you're a whiskey drinker, that should be enough to move you to pick up a bottle.) The alcohol content is a very serious 9.5 percent, so keep that in mind when when you're on your second or third pint.

Brewery: The Rare Barrel
Location: Oakland
Flavors: Cinnamon, peach, vanilla
ABV: 5.8 percent

Oakland's The Rare Barrel brewery loves sour beer so much that it's the only type of beer they make. (This video on their website does a great job explaining their philosophy and why they chose such a niche specialty.) Though relatively new to the game, they've already come out swinging. Home, Sour Home is a fairly mild sour with relatively low alcohol content (as far as sours go, that is). Overall, it's a well-balanced brew that's surprisingly refreshing.

Brewery: New Belgium
Location: Fort Collins, Colo.
Flavors: Oak, plum, sour apple, pepper
ABV: 7 percent

I will go on record saying that I was not always a fan of New Belgium's beers. Their flagship beers like Fat Tire and Skinny Dip have lots of vocal proponents, but I find their tastes weirldy cloying. That said, the Fort Collins-based brewery absolutely knocks it out of the park with its La Folie sour. It's a Flemish-style brown ale that begins fermentation in stainless steel before being transferred to aged oak barrels. The resulting brew is one of the most drinkable sours on this list, with refreshing fruity notes and a lively character. It's so good that it makes me want to give Fat Tire another try.

Brewery: Off Color Brewing
Location: Chicago
Flavors: Lightly salty, lemon, tart
ABV: 4.5 percent

Described by one BeerAdvocate reviewer as "hefeweizen meets a sour," the Troublesome is a perfect beer for a hot summer day. While many sours are overwhelming (to say the least), Troublesome balances drinkabilty with some seriously interesting flavors. If your'e weirded out by the concept of a super sour beer, Troublesome could help you ease into the category. Plus, Off Color Brewing has awesome bottle art.

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Location: Bend, Ore.
Flavors: Cherries, red wine, oak, brown sugar
ABV: 11.4 percent

"Boozey" is the first word that comes to mind when I think of The Dissident. In fact, over its lifetime, Deschutes has slowly upped the alcohol content from 9% ABV all the way to a wine-like 11.4%. While that might sound intense, the high alcohol content works well with the beer's dark berry flavors. (The beer is aged in pinot noir barrels, which ads to the wine notes.) I wouldn't recommend drinking more than one of these in a sitting, but you might not be able to resist.

Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
Location: Santa Rosa, Calif.
Flavors: Cabernet sauvignon, tobacco, currants
ABV: 10 percent

There's a reason Russian River is on this list twice: They make really great beer. Consecration is a bit more intense that it's brother, Supplication, but I actually prefer it. According to Russian River, Consecration was inspired by a 20th Anniversary Ale they made for the bar Toronado in San Francisco, but they decided to age it in cab barrels and add some fruit to the mix. Overall, it's a killer sour red ale that exemplifies the cutting edge of modern beer craft.

Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Location: San Marcos, Calif.
Flavors: Fruity, tart, funky
ABV: 9 percent

Just to give you some idea of how beloved this sour from SoCal is, here are some statistics: Framboise de Amorosa rates a "world-class" 95 on BeerAdvocate, a 100% five-star rating with 489 reviews on Ratebeer, and 93/100 on Drink Me. Put simply, this beer is universally beloved by people who like good beer. Personally, it's one of my top five favorite beers in the world right now—and I'm not just saying that because I'm originally from San Diego.