To celebrate the arrival of our new shipment of American beers, we invite you to discover The Rare Barrel Brewery. Based in California, this craft brewery has built its reputation on a true passion for sour beers. After experimenting with traditional styles, master brewer Jay Goodwin created his first sour beer — and fell completely in love with the style.
What is a Sour beer?
Sour beer is a style defined by its distinctive acidity. This family includes Berliner Weisse, Gueuze, and Lambic, among others. Sour beers acquire their tangy character through methods such as barrel ageing, spontaneous fermentation, or the addition of fruit during brewing. The result is a wide range of flavour profiles, from tart and funky to dry and fruity. (For more details, see our dedicated article on sour beers.)
The history of The Rare Barrel
Jay Goodwin began his brewing journey at The Bruery in Placentia, California, where he specialised in barrel ageing. Managing nearly 1,500 oak barrels gave him hands-on experience and sparked his fascination with sour beer. Inspired by the unique interaction of wild yeasts and microorganisms, he launched his own project: The Rare Barrel. “Sours are unlike any other beverage,” he explains — offering flavours that range from sharp to funky, dry to sweet.
In February 2013, Jay brewed his first batch in Berkeley. Soon after, he and his team opened a Rare Barrel tasting room. Though stressful at the time, it was a turning point, quickly earning the brewery recognition as one of America’s leading specialists in sour beer. In just two years, The Rare Barrel had established itself as a benchmark in the US sour beer scene.
A brewery that lives up to its name
The name The Rare Barrel reflects the brewery’s philosophy: selecting only the best barrels for ageing. To achieve this, they organise Search Parties — unique events where beer enthusiasts, homebrewers, judges, and foodies gather to taste and evaluate sour beers from different barrels. The very best cask is chosen as “The Rare Barrel” and served to the public in its raw form.
Selected barrels are also reused for yeast and bacteria cultivation, helping to develop new brews that capture the distinctive flavours of previous rare barrels. This cycle embodies the brewery’s mission: to push the boundaries of fermentation and discover new, exciting sour beer profiles.
An experimental approach to brewing
Brewing a sour beer is never straightforward. According to Jay, each batch is an “experiment.” Fermentation often begins with a mix of wild yeasts and acidifying bacteria, followed by oak barrel ageing that can last from six months to three years. After maturation, fruits, spices, or other ingredients may be added to refine the flavour. Over the years, The Rare Barrel has experimented with raspberry, hibiscus, ginger, apricot, orange peel, lavender, cherry, and vanilla.
This experimental approach, combined with ever-changing yeast and bacteria cultures, means that every barrel is unique. Jay embraces this unpredictability with a “beer will be what it will be” philosophy. While some batches may miss the mark, others become extraordinary, cementing The Rare Barrel’s reputation as one of the most innovative sour beer breweries in America.
The Rare Barrel beers
One standout is the Map of the Sun Oak BA 2019. This 75 cl, 7.7% ABV Golden Sour is aged in oak barrels with fresh apricots. It pours a hazy yellow, offering aromas of yeast, malt, and apricot that carry through to the palate, balanced by the refreshing tartness typical of sour beers.
Don’t hesitate to explore the rest of The Rare Barrel’s range — each beer offers a unique, surprising experience for sour beer lovers.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Please drink responsibly.
Discover other beers and breweries : Beer Adrienne from Bosteels brewery, René, a historic beer from Armentières in northern France and Brett Extravaganza Farmhouse Beer from the Danish brewery Amager.
