By David Diehl
It’s about time that Brewing in the FLX examined a sour beer. The reason for the wait: we wanted to spotlight a brewery that does it better—and that is K2 Brothers Brewing Company in Penfield.
One of K2’s most popular and well-received beers, the Blue Razz Sour, has just been brewed and canned. It is available to be picked up at their Penfield taproom and purchased at many beer stores in the Finger Lakes.
This brew excelled in a competition among other New York state sours to back up its popularity.
“The K2 Blue Razz Sour was submitted to the New York State Brewer’s Association Competition, and out of 120 applicants, we took the bronze medal in the fruited sour category for this beer,” says K2 co-owner Kyle Kennedy.
At this juncture, sour beers aren’t new to the craft beer world— and they aren’t new to the Finger Lakes. But that doesn’t mean that first-time drinkers don’t make a face at the first sip. Usually, once a newcomer gets accustomed to the flavor profile, they will commit.
“We use a sour yeast and that will give you a tartness that is not quite vinegar, it’s not that extreme,” says Bradley Kennedy, Kyle’s brother and co-owner of K2. “It’s more like eating a very tart raspberry or blueberry. It is a jammy beer.”
The K2 Blue Razz Sour is created by the addition of lactobacillus—a lactic acid that forms bacteria used to sour beer—then raspberry puree is inserted during fermentation to achieve its specific flavoring. The fruit is added to punctuate the liquid’s identity and to help mute the sourness, producing a pleasant tasting experience.
K2 Brewing currently has the go-ahead by the state to be open at 50 percent capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions and they are utilizing a large heated outdoor area with a tent.
K2 Brothers Brewing. 1221 Empire Blvd, Rochester, NY 14609. (585)413-1997. k2brewing.com.
It was always a goal for David Diehl to return to the Finger Lakes and make an imprint on the beer culture of the region. A Hobart & William Smith Colleges graduate, Diehl spent over a decade in Brooklyn and is excited to be back and taking on Finger Lakes craft beer reviews and commentaries for EdibleFingerLakes.com. He has also been published in Inked Magazine, YRB Magazine, Nerve.com, and The Finger Lakes Times. You can follow his work at FLXWORDS.com.
