Wild Specialty Beer

A wild ale with fruit, spice, or other specialty ingredients. The base sour character should blend harmoniously with the added ingredients.

Base sour and funky wild character blended with added fruit, spice, or specialty ingredient aromas. The specialty addition should be clearly identifiable but harmoniously integrated. Complex and creative.

Varies widely by base style and specialty ingredients. May show color from fruit or spice additions. Turbidity from wild fermentation possible.

Wild fermentation sourness and funk combined with clearly identifiable specialty ingredient flavors. Both elements harmonious. Dry to semi-dry finish with layered complexity.

Variable based on base style and ingredients. Generally tart or funky with specialty ingredient influence on texture.

Emerged from the global sour beer movement, combining wild fermentation traditions with creative ingredient additions. American craft brewers blended lambic/Flanders traditions with local fruit, herbs, and spices. Represents the most creative frontier of sour beer production in the modern craft era.

What is Wild Specialty Beer beer?

Wild Specialty Beer (BJCP 28C) — a wild ale with fruit, spice, or other specialty additions.

What is the ABV of Wild Specialty Beer?

Wild Specialty Beer has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 4.5-8.5%.

How bitter is Wild Specialty Beer beer?

Wild Specialty Beer measures 0-25 IBU (International Bitterness Units).

What are some examples of Wild Specialty Beer beers?

Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise, Russian River Supplication, Jolly Pumpkin La Roja, Allagash Coolship Resurgam