Putting the fruit up front

No-Li’s new year-round beer takes a small step toward sour territory.

Mosh Pit Tart Cherry Ale (7.5 percent alcohol by volume, 15 International Bitterness Units) started rolling out today in four-packs of 12-ounce bottles, available now at the pub and soon at area stores.

Made with 80 percent cherry and 20 percent cranberry puree from Oregon Fruit Products, and dry-hopped with fruity El Dorado hops, it bounces back and forth between sweet and tart on the tongue before finishing crisp and dry.

In addition to the standard Mosh Pit, the pub is pouring a distinctly sour early test version, dubbed simply Cran-Cherry, that was dosed with lactobacillus bacteria.

And another true cherry sour is on the way. Van Lambert, brewed with hand-picked Green Bluff cherries, was similarly soured in the kettle with lacto, then aged in wine barrels with Brettanomyces yeast, another souring agent.

It will see a limited release in 22-ounce bottles, first at a special pre-release event on Dec. 20, with the rest to follow in January.

But don’t worry, No-Li hasn’t lost its love of hops. The new pilot series offering on tap at the pub is a big imperial IPA called Matthias (8.4 percent ABV, 100 IBU). The ruby-red beer has a rich maltiness but finishes dry, with its own distinctive fruitiness from dry-hopping with El Dorado and Belma, known for a wide range of fruit notes from tropical to strawberry to melon.

Best of the fest: By the way, No-Li won the People’s Choice award for a vanilla-and-chocolate-infused version of its Rise & Grind coffee/oatmeal/milk stout at all three sessions of last weekend’s Washington Winter Beer Fest in Seattle.

Its other offerings there included yet another cherry beer – Aksel, a strong Belgian-style ale, aged in red wine barrels with fresh cherries – as well as a sneak peek of the upcoming Big Bang Barley Barley Wine (the next wide-release seasonal, after Winter Warmer).

Orlison took third place at Saturday’s early session for 2 Finger Pour, inspired by the Old Fashioned cocktail, brewed with bitters and orange peel over whiskey barrel chips.