Instead of picking your favorite fruit or brew style off the menu, I’d recommend springing for a pretty rainbow of tasters. It’s fun to experience how dynamic sours can be, and the beers’ differences are best savored side by side. On a recent visit, options ranged from the Pêche Fumé (a smoked wheat ale barrel-aged with peaches) to the Sang Noir (a bourbon-barrel-aged red ale with cherries) to the Bourbonic Plague (a blend of sour and imperial porters with dates, vanilla, and orange peel), and there’s often a sour beer on nitro. If you’ve never sampled the latter, put that one at the top of your list: Due to the lack of carbonic acid from carbonation, and the thicker mouthfeel imparted by nitrogen, nitro sours are rounder and allow drinkers to distinguish more of the complexity in their flavor.
The Lodge is the original location, and where Cascade brews its beer; around six of its 18 taps are also reserved for non-sours, which are resurfacing in importance for the brand. But the Barrel House is easily accessible in the city. It serves a full menu, although I like to keep it simple with a cheese-and-charcuterie plate, which pairs well with all that fruited beer. While you’re there, keep an eye out for exciting additions—right now, Cascade is tapping funky fresh-hop sours, something you don’t see every day. The brewery also just began releasing its first cans, including Casual Friday, a sour hazy IPA made in collaboration with Trap Door Brewing.
