The Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme

Sour Cherries and . . . Beer?

I love sour cherries. How many summers did I spend climbing the tree in my parents’ backyard, picking sour cherries and making pies and canning them and making jams?

One thing we never did with the sour cherries? Make beer.

But maybe we should have tried.

That’s what I was thinking as my companion and I shared a bottle of The Lost Abbey’s Cuvee de Tomme.

This sour-cherry-and-raisin beer is like none other. In a category of its own. With a taste that is hard to describe.

We split a bottle at one of my favorite pubs, loving the red-brown color, the sour cherry front, the dark cognac-feeling on the way down thanks to the bourbon barrel aging . . . and marveling at the lovely dry finish.

Next time I am back on my parents’ property, I will be looking at that sour cherry tree with a whole new respect.

The Beer Details Brewer: The Lost Abbey (San Marcos, CA) Style: Belgian Strong Ale ABV: 11% Price: Our 375 mL bottle cost $25 at the bar.

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Want this beer? It's released once a year in limited quantities, so if you spot a bottle, snap it up. It also ages well. You can find distribution information on the brewer’s web site.

Erin Malone is a Thursday Happy Hour contributing editor, providing the what's-up of beer all over on Fridays. What's your favorite fruit-inspired beer? Let me know in the comments below. Or chat with me on Facebook.