Upland Kiwi Lambic

Tasting Notes

The kiwi character here reads as tart tropical fruit layered over the base funk of a wild ale — expect green, slightly vegetal fruit notes alongside the lactic sourness and barnyard earthiness that define the lambic-inspired format. The body is typically light to medium, dry through the finish, with Brett-driven hay and leather notes lingering underneath the fruit. Acidity drives the palate rather than sweetness, so the kiwi reads as bright and tangy rather than jammy. The finish is long and mouth-watering, the way good spontaneous-style beers tend to be.

About the Brewery

Upland Brewing is based in Bloomington, Indiana, and has been operating since 1998. They built their reputation on approachable Midwest craft staples but have earned serious attention in the sour and wild ale community through their Sour Ales program, which produces lambic-inspired fruit beers that are among the more respected examples of the style in the American Midwest. Their fruit sour releases are limited and consistently draw strong interest from wild ale enthusiasts nationally.

Food Pairings

The sharp lactic acidity and dry fruit character make this a natural match for fresh chèvre or aged goat cheese, where the tartness of both play in the same register rather than fighting each other. A simple smoked salmon preparation works well because the funk of the beer mirrors the savory depth of the fish without overwhelming it. Roasted duck with a fruit-forward sauce bridges the beer's kiwi notes to the richness of the meat. For dessert, a lemon tart or pavlova with fresh fruit keeps the acidity conversation going without tipping into sweetness overload.

Style Guide

American Wild Ale is a broad and loosely defined category that covers beers fermented with wild or mixed cultures — typically Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, or some combination — often in the tradition of Belgian lambic but produced domestically without geographic restriction. These beers range widely in ABV, body, and character, unified mainly by their intentional sourness and funky fermentation profile rather than any single flavor template. What separates American examples from traditional Belgian lambics is that brewers here often add fruit, blend more deliberately, and are not bound by the spontaneous fermentation conventions of the Senne Valley. The style rewards patience both in production and in drinking, as complexity tends to unfold slowly across the glass.