We're Funkd Sour Stroll

I hope they can pull this off. I'll definitely support it.

 

We hope we can pull it off, too

Look for a more formal announcement in the next few days. We've got some great partners ready to pour some serious, serious beer.

 

http://springdalebeer.com/2017/05/announcing-the-2017-were-funkd-sour-weekend/

Still much to be sorted out, but we're working hard to make this a memorable weekend for all.

I'm salivating over a list of breweries that have agreed to participate, from which I can fully confirm besides ourselves and Night Shift:

Cambridge Brewing Company
Avery
Two Roads
Captain Lawrence
Oxbow
Barreled Souls
Four Quarters
Transmitter

More to come!

 

I made my first stop to Springdale today, I'm not really big on sours but goddamn if Cuvée D'or Rouge isn't an absolutely incredible beer, along with Cuvée de Bandwagon. Came home with a bottle of the Rouge too, I'm excited to share it.

 

I am sure the owners are crying their way to the bank.

 

Here's an update, including location of the festivities, tickets, and the initial brewery list.

 

Is there a page with info on the locations for Saturday for us non-Facebook folks? Thank you!

 

They might update the site as well (We're Funk'd), but for now - FB Details:



We're Funk'd: A Celebration of Sour and Wild Beer

Details

The Springdale Barrel Room and Night Shift Brewing are excited to present: We’re Funk’d - A Celebration of Sour and Wild Beer!

The event will be split into two parts over two days, with something for the beer lover in everyone - #WereFunkd and proud of it!

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Saturday, July 8th - We're Funk'd Bar Crawl

Join us to hit up some of the best spots in Somerville and Cambridge! Each location will be tapping assorted sour and wild beers from amazing local and visiting brewers, and donating a portion of their sales to an organization of their choice! No tickets needed, just pay as you drink or eat at each spot.

11:30am - 3pm: Cambridge
- Cambridge Brewing Company
- Lord Hobo...
- Meadhall
4pm - 8pm: Davis Square, Somerville
- Five Horses Tavern
- The Rosebud
- Foundry on Elm
- Redbones

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Sunday, July 9th - We're Funk'd Festival

Boylston Schul-Verein in Walpole, MA
12:30pm - 4:30pm
Tickets available now: bit.ly/werefunkd

25+ innovative, independent breweries will descend on the Boylston Schul-Verein German Club just outside Boston for a festival to cap off the weekend! A portion of all tickets sales will go to supporting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Easter Seals Massachusetts. Both organizations will be on-site to share their message and help us promote integration between the craft beer and philanthropic communities. Along with amazing beer to sample, the festival will feature live music, and local food trucks.

The venue can be accessed by car, or the MBTA Commuter Rail Franklin Line via the Norwood Central stop. Transportation will be sponsored by Mass Brew Bus, who will be providing transportation to and from the Norwood Central train station all day!

Participating breweries include:

• Allagash Brewing Company - Portland, Maine
  
• Almanac Beer Co - San Francisco, CA
  
• Avery Brewing Company - Boulder, CO
  
• Barreled Souls Brewing Company - Saco, ME
  
• Burley Oak Brewing Company - Berlin, MD
  
• Cambridge Brewing Company - Cambridge, MA
  
• Captain Lawrence Brewing Company - Elmsford, NY
  
• Cascade Brewing - Portland, OR
  
• Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project - Denver, CO
  
• Destihl Brewery - Normal, IL
  
• Finback Brewery - Ridgewood, NY
  
• Four Quarters Brewing - Winooski, VT
  
• Hermit Thrush Brewery - Brattleboro, VT
  
• J. Wakefield Brewing - Miami, FL
  
• Nectar Creek - Corvallis, OR
  
• Night Shift Brewing - Everett, MA
  
• Paradox Beer Company - Divide, CO
  
• Plan Bee Farm Brewery - Poughkeepsie, NY
  
• Port Brewing Co / The Lost Abbey - San Marcos, CA
  
• Oxbow Brewing Company - Newcastle, ME
  
• Rhinegeist - Cinncinati, OH
  
• Springdale Beer - Framingham, MA
  
• Transient Artisan Ales - Bridgman, MI
  
• Transmitter Brewing - Long Island City, NY
  
• TRVE Brewing - Denver, CO
  
• Upland Brewing Company - Bloomington, IN

 

@M-Fox24 Thank you! @springdalebeer and @masterob8 is there a list of which visiting breweries will be pouring at which bar? thank you!

 

Took me a long time to get into sours but now I am almost of the mind that the more sour the better...I'm not sure if there are any "rules" but the few bits of advice I would suggest is i) only go there if you have the interest (obviously), ii) take your time with it and maybe start of with lightly funked-up bretty saisons (Austin Street and Oxbow do a good job in this category), iii) once you get into the more funky stuff that offers more of a sour tarty kick - sip slowly and make it last a while...get them to room temperature...this is where the flavors really start to come out...but to be truthful - I have a hard time finding flavor in any of the really funked up stuff (some of the former Jack's Abby sours, and I suspect some of the Springdale sours might be a good transition point although I haven't tried them yet, Hill Farmstead Arthur too is a great one that will lead you into the next category, iv) truly mouth puckering vinegary sours - some of Trillium's stuff - especially the Soak and Permutation Series' are criticized for this but I love them - I find Weyerbacher Riserva to be the mother of all pucker and is what started it for me at a BA Night of the Funk festival about 6 or 7 years ago. Definitely an acquired taste but go for it - if you get there, it can be really rewarding. Cheers!

 

I agree with a lot of what you say there. My introduction to sour / funky beers was Saisons, and I still love them, mostly the more mild ones. You mentioned Arthur, a buddy did a share of a bottle with me, and while it was really good, it had a bit more sour apple than I typically like in a saison. I like saisons for the effervesence, and not the sour/tartness.

I've had a couple of the Permutation beers, and you're right on with those, I couldn't get into them at all. It's funny, I shared one of them with my wife, and we both didn't like it for different reasons. I didn't like that it essentially tastes like a warhead / super tart Jolly Rancher, and my wife didn't like the barnyard funk (which I loved...)

 

I think there's something to be said for the "Americanization/Imperialization" of the sour/wild genre. Many folks swing toward the "sourer, the better" in this regard, and you can find parallels in the IPA category. Personally, we don't really gravitate towards those beers, thus we haven't really released anything you'd call scorchingly sour.

As an aside, we talk alot about how the generic term "sour beer" doesn't do a great job of accurately representing many of the beers that get lumped into the category. This festival will certainly have its share of low ph beers, but there will be plenty of offerings that won't immediately present acidity as the primary flavor.

 

As of now this is still being worked out. We do hope to spread everyone's offerings out across the seven locations, best we can, but look for more info on this as the date approaches.

 

Cool, thank you! Will keep my eye out for info.

 

In thinking further about this - you make a great comment about the "Americanization / Imperialization" on sour beer. I wonder if Jack's might take the lead on creating some kind of better definition of sour beer, and sour beer chart along the lines of what I started above that outlines some kind of sour progression where you guys are solidly in what I've attempted to genericize as the "3" or "gateway" category. Not too sour, but not too "saisony" either - just enough to be drinkable and approachable by the common man (and woman) who loves your hoppy lagers and Framinghammers and wants to try Springdale. I also wonder if bookending this line with a mouth puckering sour, and a saison might be worthwhile at some point as well?

 

When I first got into sours I was the same way...chasing the most intense sours. Now that I've had a bunch, I find myself chasing the funk more than the sour. I love that musty barnyard "horse blanket" funk that is most commonly found in lambic. I also find myself more impressed by well balanced farmhouse ales (HF) with just enough tartness to keep you on your toes...as opposed to the smash you over the head with sourness.

 

@springdalebeer and @masterob8 any info on which breweries are pouring at which restaurants and bars tomorrow? If it was posted on Facebook, would appreciate it if someone could also post here for us nerds without Facebook accounts. Thank you!

 

Hey Justin, nothing tomorrow, this all goes down next month, 7/8-7/9. We will update here as well when we have more info. Cheers!

 

Doh! I guess I was too excited for the event, my bad. Looking forward to it *next* month Thank you!