“Sour beer is the beer enthusiast’s alternative to champagne," said co-author Bjørge Westereng of the Norwegian University of Life Science. "By using sugars derived from peas that yeast cannot metabolize, we promote the growth of bacteria essential for producing sour beer.”

Sour beers have become a fixture on microbrewery menus and store shelves. They're enjoyed for their tart, complex flavors, but some can require long and complicated brewing processes.

Sour beers are enjoyed for their complex and often tart flavors, but brewing can sometimes be long and arduous. Researchers in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry brewed new sours in less time using a seemingly strange ingredient: field peas.