As with most of today’s hottest beer trends, sour beer is ancient history. Just ask Belgium’s Trappist monks (arguably the original hipsters), who began brewing it centuries before “craft beer” was even a thing. While it may be old news, sour beer is still a relatively new concept for most modern beer-drinkers. So what is it? Like yoghurt, sourdough and vinegar, these beers are deliberately ‘infected’ with wild yeast and bacteria who gobble sugars and produce acid. Depending on what bugs are added to which beer and how, the results can vary wildly — some styles (such as lambic and flanders red ale) are outrageously tangy, while others (such as gose and Berliner weisse) are only slightly tart. Whether you’re a fan or not, sour beers aren’t going away anytime soon. Here are a couple of tart tipples to sample this winter.

Sawmill Passionfruit Sour

Pouring a dreamy sunset pink, this sour is like a transportation device to warmer climes. Notes of ripe guava and intense passionfruit dominate the nose, followed by a fresh, sherbert-like acidity on the palate. RRP$11.99, 500ml

Moa Sour Kiwi

This wheat-based beer has been conditioned with Moa’s house sour microflora, then barrel-aged with pulped kiwifruit for 18 months. Expect kiwi, tropical and melon notes with a sour finish. RRP$9.99, 375ml