[Narrator] At The Incubator brewhouse in downtown Spokane is Young Buck Brewing. This is Cameron Johnson, owner of Young Buck.

Hi, I’m Cameron.

[Narrator] And he has a goal.

To make sour beer popular in the inland Northwest.

[Narrator] And these are people who’ve never tried sour beer. You’ll hear from them later, but first, what is sour beer?

Sour beers are different from other beers in that they feature bacteria in addition to yeast. So while standard brewer’s yeast simply consumes sugar and excretes ethanol and CO2, bacteria and other yeasts secrete acids in addition to ethanol and CO2.

[Narrator] Some sours have a quick turnaround time, while others are aged in wood barrels for years. Sometimes beers are blended to balance acidity and flavor, and fruit may be added for sweetness. Will American beer drinkers appreciate the taste? Let’s find out.

Not so much. No, not a fan.

It’s not terrible, but it’s not refreshing.

It kinda tastes like a watered-down IPA to me.

Sour beers can be a bit divisive. The main factor in that, I think, is the acidity. It takes a little bit for people to get used to a beer tasting tart or acidic, whereas with a soda or an energy drink it’s practically the norm.

[Narrator] And how do the taste testers like fruit-blended sour beer?

I do like it. I felt it right here.

It’s really fruity.

It doesn’t really taste like beer.

Sour beer should be considered something that you ease into, but they can very quickly become an obsession, as they have with me.