The Rare Barrel’s hordes of Bay Area fans are a testament to the growing popularity of oak aged Sour Ales. That’s all these specialists make! The name is a reference to their ultimate mission: to find the perfect barrel of Sour Beer and isolate the yeast culture that created it! Once a year, they scour their barrel house with the help of fans, homebrewers, and foodies, searching for the very best barrel of beer they have stashed away. It might be their raspberry infused Ensorcelled Wild Ale, their Cosmic Dust Golden Sour with Hibiscus, or their Home, Sour Home American Wild with peaches and cinnamon. But chances are, it’ll be one of their as-yet-unnamed barrels waiting to be blended into a brand new brew. That’s how they came up with their beloved Golden Sour Ales like Becoming, Hyper Paradise, and Guava Happens. They may never find the perfect “Rare Barrel” but as long as these GABF winners keep trying, Sour Ale fans will continue flocking to the brewery. Hype: Beer and Brewing called The Rare Barrel a Breakout Brewer back in 2017, and they’ve lived up to the title ever since!