Riverlands Pastry Power Series 4Pk

Riverlands Pastry Power Series 4Pk is a four-pack of dessert-inspired fruited sour ales from Riverlands Brewing Company, brewed at approximately 6.0% ABV. The series stands out for its shelf-stable construction — a notable achievement for heavily fruited sours — with variants built around flavors like Cherry Cheesecake, Peach Cobbler, Apple Crisp, and Raspberry Parfait.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~6.0%  |  Origin: St. Charles, Illinois, USA  |  Style: Fruited Sour Ale  |  Brewery: Riverlands Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Riverlands Brewing Company operates out of St. Charles, Illinois, and has built a reputation for pushing stylistic boundaries — their broader portfolio earned a Bronze Medal at the Festival of Wood & Barrel Aged Beer (FoBAB) for Tranquil in 2025 and a Gold Medal at the 2024 US Open Beer Championship for their German Pils. The Pastry Power series takes a different direction entirely, combining fruited sour ale bases with dessert-forward ingredients like lactose (milk sugar), vanilla, graham cracker, cinnamon, and real fruit. The result is a lineup of sours engineered to taste like specific pastry desserts while remaining shelf stable — no refrigeration required before opening, which is uncommon in the heavily fruited sour category.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The series leans into pronounced bakery and fruit-forward aromatics. Depending on the variant, expect ripe stone fruit, warm cinnamon spice, vanilla custard, or bright berry preserves on the nose.

Taste: Each variant delivers a distinct dessert profile on the palate. The Cherry Cheesecake brings sweet cherry layered over creamy lactose and graham cracker, described as highly complex and tremendously well balanced. Apple Crisp opens with clear apple flavor before transitioning into maple, cinnamon, and nuts at the mid-palate. Peach Cobbler marries ripe peach with milk sugar and cinnamon for a warm, baked-fruit character. Raspberry Parfait hits with bold raspberry flavor tempered by a tart backbone and smooth, pie-like warmth.

Finish: Across the series, the finishes tend toward moderate length with a clean tartness that cuts through the sweetness of the dessert ingredients. Lactose lends a lingering creamy texture that softens the sour ale's acidity without making it cloying.

How to Drink Pastry Power

These sours drink best well chilled, straight from the can or poured into a tulip glass to concentrate the dessert aromatics. They are designed as standalone sipping beers rather than cocktail mixers, but they pair well with creative beer applications. Try a Pastry Power float by pouring any variant over a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent dessert drink. A Beer-mosa works well with the Peach Cobbler variant in place of traditional wheat beer, adding depth to the classic brunch format. The Cherry Cheesecake variant can substitute for lambic in a Cherry Berliner Weisse-style serve with a splash of simple syrup and lemon zest.

Best For

• Introducing sour-curious friends to the pastry sour style with an approachable ABV
• Sampling flights at home — the variety pack format encourages side-by-side comparison
• Pairing with an actual dessert course at a dinner party
• Gifting to craft beer enthusiasts who gravitate toward fruited and pastry styles

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Pastry Power taste like? Each variant in the Pastry Power series tastes like a specific dessert — Cherry Cheesecake delivers creamy graham-cracker sweetness with tart cherry, while Peach Cobbler leans into baked peach and cinnamon. All share a fruited sour ale base balanced by lactose for a smooth, dessert-like drinking experience.

How does Pastry Power compare to other pastry sours? Pastry Power distinguishes itself primarily through shelf stability, meaning the cans do not require refrigeration before opening — a practical advantage over many heavily fruited sours that demand cold chain storage. The ABV sits around 6.0%, placing it on the sessionable end of the pastry sour spectrum where some competing series push into 7–8% or higher territory.

Is Pastry Power good for sipping on its own? Yes — the series is built for standalone drinking, with the lactose and fruit additions creating enough body and complexity to hold interest without food or mixers. The moderate 6.0% ABV makes it easy to work through multiple variants in a sitting.

Where is Pastry Power made? Pastry Power is brewed by Riverlands Brewing Company in St. Charles, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the Fox River Valley. Riverlands produces the full Pastry Power lineup on-site at their St. Charles facility.

What foods pair well with Pastry Power? Brunch dishes like French toast or waffles complement the bakery-forward sweetness of the Apple Crisp and Peach Cobbler variants. Mild, creamy cheeses such as brie or mascarpone echo the lactose richness without competing for attention. Dark chocolate truffles work particularly well alongside the Cherry Cheesecake variant. Spicy Thai or Korean dishes benefit from the tart, sweet contrast these sours provide. Fresh fruit tarts create a dessert-on-dessert pairing that leans into the series' identity.

What sizes does Pastry Power come in? The Pastry Power Series is available in a 4-pack format, with individual variants also released separately by Riverlands Brewing.

Is Pastry Power worth the price? Pastry Power positions as a mid-range craft offering within the pastry sour category, and the variety pack format adds value by letting drinkers sample multiple flavors without committing to full four-packs of each. For the style, the shelf stability and balanced flavor execution represent solid quality at the price tier.

Why Pastry Power?

The strongest argument for this series is the shelf-stable construction. Many pastry sours rely on heavy fruit loads and adjuncts that make them fragile — prone to flavor drift and refermentation if not kept cold. Riverlands has solved that problem here without sacrificing the dessert intensity that defines the style. The 6.0% ABV keeps the beers approachable rather than boozy, and the variety format lets drinkers experience the range of what fruited sours can do — from baked apple warmth to bright raspberry tartness — in a single purchase. Backed by a brewery with demonstrated brewing chops across multiple styles, including competition medals in barrel-aged and lager categories, Pastry Power reflects genuine technical skill applied to a fun, flavor-forward concept.