Works of tart

Pints Alehouse presents its second annual Sour Fest from Thursday through Sunday, with 11 of the tart concoctions on tap.

That includes a rare local offering from Portland’s Cascade Brewing, one of the most acclaimed sour breweries in the country: Sang du Chene (“Blood of the Oak”), a blend of strong, soured blonde and tripel ales aged in toasted French and American oak puncheons, Cognac hogsheads and wine foudres.

“That was super-special for us to get, and certainly the one I’m most excited about pouring,” owner Derek Quist says.

But overall, he adds, “We tried to make sure we really covered the entire spectrum of what sours can be, from kriek (cherry) beers to big, acidic sours.”   

The lineup also features:

– Pfriem’s Kettled Sour Passionfruit, brewed with passion fruit, guava, kiwi and pineapple (5.5 percent alcohol by volume), and Peche peach lambic (5.8).

– Almanac’s Mariposa, a mixed-culture Brett farmhouse ale aged on plums and dry-hopped with fruity El Dorado and Azacca (6.8).

– Stillwater’s Fear of Ghosts, a smoked sour farmhouse wheat (6).

– The Blueberry Jack collaboration by Almanac and Stillwater, a Brett-fermented blonde ale aged with blueberries and blackberries and dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado, Simcoe, Galaxy, Nugget and Sterling (7).

– Goose Island’s Halia, a farmhouse ale aged in wine barrels with whole peaches (7.5).

– Firestone Walker’s Bretta Weisse, a classic Berliner Weisse-inspired wheat beer (4.9).

– Avery’s Apricot Sour (7.3).

– Double Mountain Devil's Kriek, a Flanders-style red aged on Bing and Van cherries (9.3).

– Heathen’s Mojito, with fresh mint and lime(5).

All are available (while they last) starting at 3 p.m. each day, as 5.5-ounce snifters or full pours (10 to 12 ounces, depending on the beer). Most also will be available to go in growlers or crowler cans.

An extra, third day was added to this year’s event by popular demand, Quist says.

“Some of our customers have indicated that they don’t come to some of our events because they’re so crowded,” he says. “Spreading it over three days should make it more comfortable for everyone.”