Robin Shepard
The recent explosion of taphouses in the Madison area means there are plenty of venues for Wisconsin craft brewers to try out specialty beers. O’so Brewing of Plover, Wis., has a growing interest in sour beer production. Earlier this year it began releasing trial batches in a “Sour Session” series. O’So brewmaster Marc Buttera has been tweaking a recipe for a Berliner Weisse now called Infectious Groove.
What is it? Infectious Groove from O’so Brewing of Plover.
Style: Infectious Groove is a Berliner Weisse. The style is a light-bodied sour wheat beer that’s pale to straw-colored. It’s known for being highly carbonated with acidic sourness. Because it’s made with a high percentage of wheat and a low amount of hops, there’s very little bitterness or malty sweetness. In the 19th century the style became a beer of choice in Berlin, Germany; hence the name. Traditionally it’s a light beer, ranging from 2.8% to 3.4% ABV.
Background: O’so brewmaster Marc Buttera created Infectious Groove after attending the 2015 Craft Brewer’s Conference in Portland, Ore. A seminar on kettle souring got him thinking about using such techniques to expand his sour beer line-up. “I was just blown away because I had a preconceived notion about kettle-soured beers,” he says. “It’s not as easy as I anticipated, and we got into a lot of different things. I found you can create a lot of putrid sour beers if you do it wrong.”
Kettle souring involves cooking the grist, but then allowing it to cool in the brew kettle where lactobacillus, a bacteria found in foods like yogurt, cheese and sauerkraut, is introduced. After one to two days, the mash becomes sour and then the brewing process is restarted with enough heat to kill the bacteria, but leave a distinctive acidic tartness.
As with traditional Berliner Weisse beers, O’so Infectious Groove is made with raw wheat and a very light amount of German noble hops. Buttera chose an American ale yeast for fermentation, which makes this beer a little stronger than the norm at 4.8% ABV.
This beer has been on tap under its trial batch name of Session Sour #2 at some area taphouses. Buttera says initial feedback has been so good that beginning this January, Infectious Groove will become part of the O’so main lineup of beers. Then, O’So will become the first Wisconsin brewery to offer a sour in 12-ounce bottles year-round.
If you’re looking for it on tap it’s currently available at the Side Door. As Session Sour #2 it has also made recent appearances at the Malt House, World of Beer and several of the Mr. Brews Taphouses. It’s likely to come back to most of those venues in the weeks ahead, and this summer when sours are in even more demand.
Infectious Groove usually sells for $5-$6/glass on tap, and $9/six-pack.
Tasting notes:
Aroma: Light grainy sourness.
Appearance: Yellow-golden with a slight haziness and a bubbly white head.
Texture: Light-bodied, bubbly; the sourness accentuates a sharp mouthfeel.
Taste: There’s an assertive tart acidic sourness from the lactobacillus. It’s not over-the-top, but certainly more sourness than one finds in yogurt.
Finish/Aftertaste: That tart sourness remains in the ending, yet it doesn’t linger long. The sour ends quickly and is mostly clean.
Glassware: The Berliner Weisse would customarily be served in Germany in a special glass that resembles a short cup or bowl with a wide mouth. When on tap it’s likely to be served in a tulip or goblet, which shows off the golden color and bubbly white head. If you like the tartness, serving it very cold will bring out the sourness even more.
Pairs well with: This beer’s crispness makes it a nice beer for appetizers or on its own as a pre-meal beer. Berliner Weisses in Germany are commonly served with a choice of Himbeer (raspberry/red) or Waldmeister (woodruff/green) syrup; that’s an option if you’re looking to soften its tartness.
The Verdict: This is a nice start for someone who wants to try a sour but one that’s not over-the-top in pucker factor. I like it because it’s assertively sour, light, refreshing and easy drinking, but without so much tartness that it’s hard to discern it’s a wheat beer. Hardcore sour fans should find it interesting, but I doubt it will challenge their palates enough.
