Collective Arts Jam Up The Mash 4Pk

Collective Arts Jam Up The Mash 4Pk is a mixed-fermentation dry-hopped sour beer at 5.2% ABV from Collective Arts Brewing in Hamilton, Ontario. Scored 95 by The Beer Connoisseur and ranked among their Top 61 Sour Beers, this expression bridges the gap between hop-forward ales and tart, lactic sours with uncommon finesse.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.2%  |  Origin: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada  |  Style: Mixed-Fermentation Dry-Hopped Sour  |  Brewery: Collective Arts Brewing  |  IBU: 35

Production & Heritage

Collective Arts Brewing, founded in Hamilton, Ontario, built its reputation on pairing independent art with boundary-pushing beer. Jam Up The Mash is built on a malt bill of Pilsner, Golden Promise, Pale Wheat, and Flaked Oats, then taken through a mixed-fermentation process that introduces lactic sourness before the beer is dry-hopped with Vic Secret, Mosaic, and Citra. The hop selection is deliberate — Vic Secret contributes tropical stone-fruit character while Mosaic and Citra layer citrus and melon, all working in tandem with the tart fermentation rather than fighting against it.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Sharp tartness leads, followed quickly by orange peel and a touch of lemon. Sour peach leather emerges underneath, accompanied by a light grassy, herbaceous character from the dry-hopping.

Taste: Prominent lactic sourness arrives on the entry but stays controlled rather than aggressive. Lemon peel and light pineapple develop through the mid-palate, giving way to melon and a subtle savory quality as the beer warms in the glass. The dominant impression is dryness — crisp and tart rather than mouth-puckering.

Finish: Clean and brisk, with juicy, lemony notes that linger without cloying sweetness. The wheat and oat base lends just enough body to keep the finish from feeling thin.

How to Drink Jam Up The Mash

Best served cold, around 40–45°F, in a tulip glass or wide-mouth stemless glass to concentrate the aromatic hops. This sour is sessionable enough to drink straight from the can on a warm afternoon, but rewards attention when poured. A Berliner Weisse-style serve with a splash of elderflower syrup highlights the peach and melon. A Sour Shandy — half Jam Up The Mash, half fresh lemonade — makes a refreshing low-ABV cooler. For a cocktail crossover, try a Sour Beer Margarita, replacing some of the citrus juice with this beer to add complexity and effervescence.

Best For

• Introducing IPA drinkers to the world of sour beer
• Warm-weather backyard sessions where tartness beats heaviness
• Pairing with a summer cheese board or seafood spread
• Gifting to a craft beer enthusiast who values both hops and fermentation complexity

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Jam Up The Mash taste like? It leads with clean lactic tartness and layers of lemon peel, light pineapple, and melon, finishing dry and crisp rather than aggressively sour. The dry-hopping adds a tropical, slightly grassy dimension that distinguishes it from straightforward sour ales.

How does Jam Up The Mash compare to Sierra Nevada Wild Little Thing? Both are mixed-fermentation sours, but Wild Little Thing leans notably more bitter and hop-forward, which some drinkers find conflicts with the sour character. Jam Up The Mash strikes a more balanced relationship between its hop aromatics and lactic tartness, scoring a 95 from The Beer Connoisseur compared to Wild Little Thing's broader but less critically acclaimed positioning.

Is Jam Up The Mash good for sour beer beginners? Yes — the tartness is prominent but never punishing, and the familiar tropical hop notes from Citra and Mosaic give IPA fans an accessible entry point into sour beer.

Where is Jam Up The Mash made? It is brewed by Collective Arts Brewing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, a city in the southern Ontario craft brewing corridor just west of Toronto.

What foods pair well with Jam Up The Mash? Fresh goat cheese or chèvre benefits from the beer's tartness cutting through the creaminess. Ceviche and raw oysters complement the lemony, briny finish. Grilled shrimp tacos match the tropical hop notes. A simple arugula salad with citrus vinaigrette mirrors the beer's dry, tart profile. Stone fruit desserts like peach cobbler echo the peach leather aroma.

What sizes does Jam Up The Mash come in? It is primarily available as a 4-pack of cans, which is the standard retail format for this release.

Is Jam Up The Mash worth the price? It positions as a mid-range craft sour — not an entry-level kettle sour, but not a cellar-aged wild ale either. The mixed-fermentation process and multi-hop dry-hopping justify its craft 4-pack pricing, particularly given its 95-point score from The Beer Connoisseur.

Why Jam Up The Mash?

The 95-point score from The Beer Connoisseur — with a near-perfect 23/24 on aroma and 38/40 on flavor — places Jam Up The Mash among the most critically respected sours available in a 4-pack format. Its mixed-fermentation backbone delivers real complexity, not just surface-level tartness, while the Vic Secret, Mosaic, and Citra dry-hop combination gives it a tropical aromatic lift that most sours in this price tier simply do not achieve. The oat and wheat malt bill adds enough textural weight to keep the beer from thinning out under its own acidity. For drinkers who want a sour that rewards the palate without demanding a connoisseur's tolerance for wild funk, this is one of the most complete expressions in the category.