Chicagoist's Beer Of The Week: Marz Brewing's Duchess De Bridgeport

By Melissa McEwen in Food on Apr 17, 2015 5:00PM

It used to be that when I asked a bar if they had sour beer, I'd mainly get weird looks. Occasionally a bartender would tell me things like "Yeah, that would never sell." Three years later and they are everywhere. And there are some incredible locally brewed examples like Marz Brewing's Duchess De Bridgeport.

The name is awesome because it's not only a play on the first sour beer that made me fall in love with the style— The Duchesse de Bourgogne— but it also is a tribute to local culture. The eponymous duchess here on the label is local legend Maria Marszewski, who is in her own way a duchess, presiding over the renowned bar Maria's in Bridgeport.

Flavor-wise it shares much with Flanders Reds like Duchesse de Bourgogne or Cuvee De Jacobin's Rouge, though the label describes this beer as a Sour Red Ale. And of course the main shared characteristic is the delightful sour cherry tartness with a beautiful ruby red color, though it's a bit hoppier and has a much thicker body. And at 6.8% ABV it is substantially more alcoholic than traditional Flanders Reds, which range from 5-6%.

My favorite pairing of these ales is surprisingly with fried chicken. The funky sourness cuts the fattiness and saltiness perfectly.

To people who think sour beer is weird: c'mon we all know you liked Warheads and Sour Patch Kids when you were younger. This is just like that. But for adults. Pick up a bomber and grab some fried chicken from one of our favorite spots. You'll enjoy it.

Duchess De Bridgeport is available on draft and in 25 oz. bottles, check beermenus.com to see where you can pick some up this weekend.