Sours. I'd like to give some a try. . .

i'm gonna skip the answer since, you know, you could just look on the shelf and instead tell you to go to Mekong when it's not busy (before the dinner rush), sit at the bar, and tell them you've never had a sour before.

 

Monk's Cafe is actually an extremely good starting point for sours, go for it.

 

Heavenly Feijoa has gotten pretty sour as of recent.

 

Entry:
Monk's Cafe
Petrus Aged pale
Rodenback Grand Cru
Duchesse De Bourgogne

Get a handle on those first. Then seek out sours by Russian River, Jolly Pumpkin, and the Bruery to just name a few.

 

Also, if that Blue Mtn. is Sour Devil then avoid it entirely.

 

You might be able to find these in Richmond but be ready to pay $15-$20 per bottle.

New Belgium La Folie
The Bruery Sour in the Rye
Boulevard Love Child #3

 

I think you took this reply in the wrong way....seriously, go into Mekong and offer yourself up to him/them.

 

I wasn't a fan of this one either.

 

naw, not really- i was kind of being a pedantic dick. he asked which beers were easy to find, which is a question that can be answered by simply walking into a store. "where should i start with sour beers?" is what was really being asked, so the Mekong part was the real answer. OP, i'm not a big spender, either, but their prices are quite fair and, as i said, if you go when it's not busy, they will likely let you try a couple before you buy. if you insist on purchasing bottles, the bright yellow and blue Sour Power six-pack is a pretty good deal.

 

I could not stand sours until I tried tart of darkness. That may be hard for you to get but as someone who still isn't full on the sour trip I also liked sour in the rye and the three or four cascades I've tried.

 

Good recommendations so far. Let's not forget about the German sours, specifically the Berliner Weiss style.
The best of the lot is 1809 Berliner Weiss. It's not rip your face off sou, but still a great experience for the balance and tartness. It's low alcohol too so you'll still be able to operate your power tools after. There's a German practice of adding fruit syrups to Berliners. Take my advice and don't do that. Enjoy what Napolean called, 'the champagne of the North" straight up.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23495/36378

Another one to try is Cuvee Rene from Lindemen's. All the other Lindemen's beers I know of are sickly sweet, but Cuvee Rene is the real deal. It's a gueuze which is a mix of lambics of various ages. Last I looked it was pretty affordable.

Both beers are available in the better bottle shops here in NC, so you should have no problem finding them in Richmond.