Top 5 American Wild Ale Producers

I would list russian river but they haven't produced a new sour in a long time.

Hill Farmstead
Side Project
Jester King
SARA
De Garde
*edit: Allagash belongs on this list for sure


Others right there imho are crooked stave
Casey (even though they contract brew)
fonts flora (personal favorite based on balance,originality, and sourcing local ingredients)

 

Funk Factory
Side Project
Jolly Pumpkin
Casey
Jester King

 

De Garde
Jester King
Casey
Side Project
Hill Farmstead/Rare Barrel

The last two are up for debate. De Garde takes the top spot for me because their fruited sours are just ridiculous. I trade for their beers more than any other brewery from my buddy in the Northwest.

 

Side Project
Jester King
de Garde
Crooked Stave
Russian River
I don't think Firestone Walker gets enough recognition for their sours. They have an all-around great barrel program.

If you want some dope acid bombs though, The Bruery, Cascade, and The Rare Barrel always do the trick.

I'm sure Black Project, SARA, and Casey belong on this list, but I've yet to have the pleasure of trying these breweries.

 

Yeah, I haven't had enough SARA either to rate them yet but I hear they're amazing. All I've had is West Ashley which was the bees knees.

 

Upland, The Bruery, Stillwater, Grimm, and Jolly Pumpkin would be my Top 5. I don't trade, so I haven't had brews from many of the producers a lot of people have mentioned. Cascade would probably replace Stillwater or Grimm if I didn't believe their offerings were such a poor value.

Upland is definitely polarizing to many- you either love 'em or hate 'em. Those that dislike them say their Wilds are too sour and I totally disagree; they hit my sweet spot as far as the intensity of sourness. Plus they have a huge array of "sub"styles, which is great.

Also, I gotta throw some love to my local, Urban Artifact. They're an all "sour" brewery here in Cincinnati who's not even 2 years old yet and they are hitting it out of the park. I have a feeling most of you will be familiar with them in the not too distant future.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40297/

 

Aside from the first brewery these are in no particular order.

1. Sloop
2. High Water
3. Beaury
4. Cascade
5. Allagash.

 

From what I've had:

1 - Side Project
2 - de Garde
3 - Jester King
4 - Russian River
5 - House of Fermentation (tiny yet amazing)

 

I don't think anybody these days is brewing with 100 percent spontaneous fermentation. I heard that Jester King does, but really want to know more about this, because I might buy a bottle or two.

 

Crap, I forgot to add 2nd Shift - their fruited Katy series is awesome.

 

On the West Coast I would say:
1. Libertine
2. Santa Adairius
3. Russian River
4. The Bruery
5. Firestone Walker

 

They have at least two in bottles that have not been released for public consumption yet outside of a private event where I was lucky enough to try them and can confirm they were excellent. I don't think anything else that has been branded has been fully spontaneous.

As far as other American breweries doing spontaneous fermentation, I thought Allagash did coolships?

Also, I thought deGarde has been touted as 100% spontaneous. I still have yet to try a single drop of theirs.

I think unless you're a very hardcore traveler or trader, and I mean very, with a lot of means at your disposal, this is an almost impossible list to compile as almost none of this is distributed due to its limited quantity, high local demand, price, and reverence.

But, one redeeming quality of this "style" is there are a ton of stellar gold standard brews of this nature straight from the original source (Belgium) just sitting on shelves collecting dust. The trade value for some of these American takes is just beyond comprehension.

 

1. Funk Factory (the most like Belgian lambics made in America)
2. Russian River (classics, plus I love the wine influence)
3. De Garde (mostly for their "lambic" style beers e.g. Broken Truck)
4. OEC (everything is amazing and risk-taking, forward-thinking yet full of historicity)
5. Crooked Stave (wide variety, very interesting, very unique)

Honorable Mentions:

• Jester King (some of the purest translations of fruit to beer, but they're more of a saison brewery to me)
• New Glarus (the R&D series is incredible)
• Side Project (honestly, many of these are too sour for me, but their consistent quality is unassailable and astounding)
• Hill Farmstead (amazing, but they don't make many "wilds," as they're mostly a saison brewery)
• Sante Adairius (again, amazing, but like JK and HF, they're more of a saison brewery to me)
• Allagash (brilliantly Belgian, but some offerings are missing the depth of those that made the list)
• Rare Barrel (largely too sour for me, but they are unique and have several big hits)
• Bruery (see Rare Barrel)
• Lost Abbey (mainly makes the list on the strength of the Veritas series, DDG, and Cable Car)
• Holy Mountain (along with SARA, HF, and JK, they mostly churn out saisons)
• Ale Apothecary (everything is amazing and unique; each bottle is an experience, just wish it was cheaper and easier to get)
• Casey (really great stuff across the board, but a few misses to my palate kept them out of the main list)
• Cascade (sure a lot of their stuff is absurdly sour and I dislike it, but some is actually very good)
• Jolly Pumpkin (godfathers along with RR and influences of many breweries on this list)
• Wicked Weed (mostly very good and great interpretations of the fruit, but I think they can improve even more)
• Perennial (Funky Wit, Savant Blanc, Savant Beersel, Procatstination, the list goes on and on, even without Cory King)
• Off Color (very unique and varied as well as extremely high quality, plus who else would make a wild ale collab with Miller High Life?)

A few side comments: Prairie is too hit or miss. Grimm hasn't had a large enough sample size for me to include them, but what I have had has been very good. Firestone Walker is just mediocre except Feral Vinifera. Almanac is terrible and one-note.

And, as always, Upland is abysmal and everything that's wrong with American Wild Ale as a style.

This is incorrect.

Jester King recently started their 100% spontaneous fermentation, but they haven't released anything commercially yet. De Garde is 100% spontaneous. Funk Factory Geuzeria in Wisconsin is 100% spontaneous. Pretty sure Allagash is for at least Ghoulschip and Resurgam, if not all their wilds. New Glarus uses 100% spontaneous fermentation for at least the Vintages and most likely for their other wilds.

 

I was wondering if New Glarus would ever get mentioned. It seems they are too passé nowadays for the hype seekers.

 

De Garde
Ale Apothocary
Logsdon
North Fork
De Garde

 

How about Draai Laag? I though they have some cool stuff and for prices you can't beat.

 

1. Russian River
2. De Garde
3. Santa Adairius
4. Firestone Walker
5. Rare Barrel

 

What I've had from De Garde has been exceptional, as well as the Bruery. New Glarus makes some great Wilds, as does Russian River. To put in a plug for a local, Fair State Brewing Collective is making some out-of-this world fermented beers. They're currently expanding and have been recognized nationally this year for their tremendous work. Would love to see them start distributing out of state soon. Really exceptional work.

 

Not to mention Oakhold.

 

There are so many great wild producing breweries now, hard to choose just 5, but cool thread to see what the general consensus is.

Mine:

Side Project
Russian River
De Garde
Hill Farmstead
Jester King