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6 Refreshing Beers Made With Fruit

Are you wanting to switch up your Sunday afternoons with something a little more refreshing, light and fruity? Look no further than Fruit Beer. The widely popular European brewing trend is making a comeback. Here are the top picks for you to enjoy a refreshing alcoholic beverage [13]

fruit beer

What is Fruit Beer? 

Fruit beer is a style of craft beer with origins first noted in Belgium [14]. Fruit beer has a broad and vague definition, but essentially any beer that has fruit in it is considered to be a ‘fruit beer’. 

History of Fruit Beer

Traditionally, stone fruits like cherries, peaches and raspberries, were added to Lambic beer at the end of the brewing process and before fermentation. 

Based on the languages spoken in Belgium, including French, Flemish and German, their beers were named in these languages. Popular fruits crafted into fruit beer included Framboise (raspberry), Peche (peach), Cassis (black currant), Kriek (black cherry) and Pomme (apple). 

Besides drinking [15], fruit beers have been widely used in cooking [16], especially with modern adaptations since the emergence of the fruit beer popularity. Fruit beer can also be paired nicely with cheese and crackers, and also added to desserts due to their perfectly complementary sweet and sour tastings. 

How is Fruit Beer Made?

This large scope of possibility can confuse drinkers, many expressing sentiments of one fruit beer tasting different or not tasting the same as one they previously tasted. This is because of several factors; the different fruits used in each brew, the base style of the beer, the method of adding in the fruit and at what point the fruit was added in. 

Fruit can be added into beer through natural infusions or flavoring, either natural or artificial. When deciding when to add the fruit to the base, the brewer must consider the flavors they want to achieve. If they want a lighter taste, then adding in flavoring extracts before packaging is the best way to go. 

If a deeper, richer flavor is desired, then the fruit can be fermented to achieve these tasting notes. However the brewers do need to be careful about preservatives impacting the yeast, as well as chemicals and bacteria on the fruit. It is recommended that brewers boil their fruit before adding to ensure it will be safe to ferment and later drink. 

There has been increased popularity of fruit beers within the past few decades, but even more so now in the early 2020s. People are experimenting with old styles in new ways, showcasing flavor profiles to meet different tastes. Brewers are happy to try something new and their collective drinkers are more than happy to oblige in tasting these creations. The emergence of diversified beer drinkers is something to celebrate, so grab your favorite fruit beer of choice – cheers to that! 

Top 6 Fruit Beers

Bentspoke Crankshaft IPA

Born & brewed in Canberra, BentSpoke Crankshaft IPA boasts a delicate balance of citrus and pine flavors, with a fragrant floral aroma. There’s plenty of punchy hops with this medium bodied beer, while rich malts making for a satisfying finish.

Nomad Rosie Raspberry Sour 

Nomad Brewing Co. was born from a great friendship and passion for good beer. They marry the best styles and techniques from around the world with Australia’s phenomenal native ingredients to create their fantastic range.

Rosie’s headed out to the farm to some super ripe raspberries to add to her Berliner Weisse Sour Ale. Tart and dry on the palate but with an explosion of fresh raspberry aroma and flavor.

Pirate Life Acai & Passionfruit Sour 

The nose shows soft lemon and raspberry sherbet. On the palate, bright citrus and tangy passionfruit. Tight. Clean. Refreshing style.

Stone & Wood Pacific Ale 

Using all-Australian ingredients, the Pacific Ale packs a huge aroma of passionfruit and citrus while remaining crisp, light and full of flavor. Just the kind of thing you might want to throw down after a hard day amongst the waves. This is a freakishly enjoyable beer that couldn’t be more perfect for summer days.

Wayward Raspberry Berliner Weisse 

Wayward is a proudly independent craft brewery in the Inner West of Sydney. This dry and refreshing ale is a ridiculously refreshing beer that is our take on the classic Berliner Weisse style. Bursting with bright raspberry flavors, balanced by zippy tartness and a crisp, dry finish. It’s Summer in a glass (or straight from the can).

Sierra Nevada Hazy IPA

A scaled down version of our popular hazy IPA. This beer features the same unfiltered, unprocessed fruit-forward hop flavors you have grown to enjoy from Hazy Little Thing. Ease into a pint of intense hop character and low bitterness that make this beer a perfect session IPA.

So put on your sour beer face and lets kick back and enjoy a brew!