Beer with bacteria added to it for flavor traces its roots back to the Flemish ales of southern Belgium. Traditional beer from this area is often allowed to ferment naturally. What that means is that instead of adding yeast to the brew it’s left out in the open air and yeast which grows naturally in the area finds it’s way into the beer by itself. These yeast strains frequently include the bacterium mentioned above, allowing the beer to develop the tart edge it’s now know for.

Until recently, Flemish ales were the only brews made with bacteria at all. In the last several years however American brewers have begun to experiment with these curious strains, creating all sorts of new beers and styles that simply never existed before.

Because the special techniques and equipment necessary to make wild ale, there are still only select craft brewers able to make such beer, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on as American brewers continue to explore a whole new dimension for beer.

Some wild ales from noted American craft brewers:
Ommegeddon by Brewery Ommegang
Allagash Interlude from Allagash Brewing Co.
Temptation by Russian River
15^th Anniversary Ale from Avery Brewing
La Roja by Jolly Pumpkin

What do you think about wild ale? Have you ever had a tart beer? Next time you try one of these wild ales tweet what it is and add the #mybeer hashtag to it to let us know what you’re drinking and what you think about it.