True Story Kettle Sour — Jazz Nights and Tart Pints in the Best Neighborhood in Birmingham

The Review

True Story Brewing hosts Jazz nights, comedy open mics, and karaoke with a regularity that makes their taproom feel like the neighborhood institution it’s quietly become. On a Jazz night in September, with the evenings finally cooling to something approximating comfortable, their Kettle Sour is the exact beer you want in your hand.

It pours pale gold with a thin white head and a nose that’s clean and tart — lactic brightness up front, a hint of citrus, the kind of sourness that makes you smile rather than wince. The palate delivers a clean, bright tartness with good body for the style, a fruit note that varies by batch, and a finish that’s crisp and refreshing. The carbonation is lively, the mouthfeel is light, and the whole thing is gone before you’ve finished describing it to someone.

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True Story’s sours are properly made — technically sound, genuinely tart, built for drinking rather than contemplating. In a city where some craft sours still taste like they’re trying too hard to be interesting, True Story’s version is interesting because it’s delicious, and it knows the difference.

Crestwood, September, jazz, kettle sour. Nothing about this sentence is wrong.

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