Boulevard Love Child 750ML

Boulevard Love Child 750ML is a barrel-aged American wild ale from Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, bottled at 750ml with an ABV that varies by annual release (typically 7.6%–9%). Love Child No. 7 earned a 94 score on BeerAdvocate, and the series has built a devoted following among sour ale enthusiasts for its layered blending approach and vintage-to-vintage complexity.

Quick Facts: ABV: Varies by release (7.6%–9%)  |  Origin: Kansas City, Missouri  |  Style: American Wild Ale / Sour Blend  |  Brewery: Boulevard Brewing Co.

Production & Heritage

Boulevard Brewing Co., founded in 1989 by John McDonald, grew from a small craft operation into one of the largest specialty brewers in the Midwest. Love Child is produced by blending foeder-aged Flanders Red with cabernet cask-aged imperial amber ale, with component batches conditioned in a variety of previously used barrels inoculated with lactobacillus and brettanomyces. During the blending process, samples are pulled from like lots and evaluated in a tasting session attended by Boulevard's brewers and quality assurance team, ensuring each numbered release achieves a distinct but balanced profile. The label itself features gauges indicating the intensity of three defining traits — Funk, Sour, and Fruit — giving drinkers a snapshot of that particular vintage's character.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe cherries and plum lead the nose, followed by subtle earthy undertones of leather and mushroom. A gentle acetic sharpness lingers beneath the fruit, hinting at the wild yeast character within.

Taste: The palate opens with tart cherry and green apple acidity supported by a malty amber backbone that provides body without sweetness. Mid-palate, dark fruit flavors of plum and sour cherry deepen, while soft lactic sourness and slight acetic notes add dimension. Green strawberry and funky brett character emerge as the ale warms in the glass.

Finish: The finish is crisp and dry, with lingering acid brightness that keeps the palate engaged. Earthy, leathery undertones fade slowly alongside residual dark fruit tartness.

How to Drink Love Child

Love Child is best served at cellar temperature (50–55°F) in a tulip glass or wine goblet to concentrate the complex aromatics. Pouring slowly to minimize sediment disturbance allows the cleanest expression of the blend. For cocktail-curious drinkers: a Berliner Shandy using a splash of Love Child with lemonade and sparkling water highlights the ale's fruit-forward sourness; a Sour Beer Mimosa pairing Love Child with fresh orange juice makes a brunch-worthy alternative to champagne; and a Wild Ale Spritz combining Love Child with elderflower liqueur and soda water plays off its floral and tart cherry notes.

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer collector who appreciates vintage-dated sour ales
• Sharing at a tasting flight alongside other Flanders-style and wild ales
• Pairing with a composed cheese board for a dinner party
• Cellaring to compare across multiple release years

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Love Child taste like? Love Child delivers tart cherry and plum fruit up front with soft lactic acidity, earthy brett funk, and a crisp, dry finish that balances its malty amber base.

How does Love Child compare to a traditional Flanders Red? Love Child shares the tart, dark-fruit character of a classic Flanders Red but incorporates cabernet cask-aged imperial amber into the blend, adding a fuller malt body and more layered complexity than many single-origin Flemish sours.

Is Love Child good for sipping neat? Love Child is designed to be savored on its own at cellar temperature, where its nuanced balance of fruit, funk, and acidity can fully develop in the glass.

Where is Love Child made? Love Child is brewed and blended at Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, where the brewery has operated since 1989 and maintains an extensive barrel program for wild and sour ales.

What foods pair well with Love Child? Aged Gouda or Comté cheese complement the ale's malty backbone; duck confit mirrors its dark fruit notes; charcuterie with cornichons echoes the tart acidity; dark chocolate with dried cherries amplifies the fruit profile; and grilled stone fruit desserts harmonize with the plum and cherry flavors.

What sizes does Love Child come in? Love Child is released in 750ml bottles, the standard format for Boulevard's Smokestack Series of specialty and limited-release ales.

Is Love Child worth the price? Love Child positions as a premium craft sour ale, and its labor-intensive barrel-aging, wild yeast fermentation, and hand-blending process place it in line with other limited-release American wild ales in the same price tier.

Why Love Child?

What separates Love Child from the broader American sour ale field is the specificity of its blend — foeder-aged Flanders Red married with cabernet cask imperial amber, a combination that yields more structural depth than a single-barrel sour. The use of both lactobacillus and brettanomyces across varied barrel types creates a layered fermentation character that shifts meaningfully from one numbered release to the next. With Love Child No. 7 earning a 94 on BeerAdvocate, the series has demonstrated consistent critical quality across vintages. For drinkers who want an American interpretation of Old World sour tradition with transparent vintage variation, Love Child delivers a compelling and well-documented bottle.