Crooked Tooth Brewing Co. earns an honorable mention for its mushroom-infused sour beer

Every sweet has its sour, but in this case, they’re both to the advantage.

As the year comes to an end, The Beer Travel Guide puts together its “Best Of” lists, naming their favorites brews from all around the country in different categories. When it comes to their favorite sours, Crooked Tooth Brewing Company made the list for perhaps one of its most unique sours yet.

The beer that made the “Best American Sour Beers of 2020” list is the one and only That’s What Friends Are Spore  — a perfectly suitable name since it’s a collaboration with the locals Sonoran Witch Boy and Desert Pearl Mushrooms.

Crooked Tooth Brewing Company posted the following about the joint effort on Facebook:

“At the height of COVID, temporary business closures left our friends with an excess harvest and nowhere else to take them. In the spirit of supporting local and also not wanting to see their hard work — or those beautiful mushrooms — wither away unenjoyed, we decided to put them all in a beer. Crazy? Maybe. Delicious? Absolutely.”

“We love when a beer can expand our expectations for what a beer can and should taste like,” said The Beer Travel Guide. “This is the sort of high-difficulty home run that puts a brewery on your radar for good — we’re excited for our next taste of Crooked Tooth.”

In a year that saw a few new spins on mushroom-inspired cuisine and methods, like fungus street tacos or the newly-installed fruiting chambers that can grow its own unique spores, Crooked Tooth’s That’s What Friends Are Spore is a wonderful addition.

A few other Arizona breweries made the list, too, like Arizona Wilderness and Dark Sky Brewing, so check ’em out if sours are your cup of tea.

Crooked Tooth Brewing Company is located at 228 E. Sixth St. For more information, follow Crooked Tooth Brewing Company on Facebook.