There’s a style for every taste, including easy-drinking lagers. But few new creations capture that special combo of Philly attitude and sophisticated craftsmanship quite like the latest edition of Second District’s “RAF” series of wild sour ales: Rude AF.
“We thought it would be funny to give a beer that was brewed in an old machine shop in South Philly a real tongue-in-cheek name,” said Ben Potts, head brewer of the year-old brewery on South Bancroft Street just north of West Passyunk Avenue. “The ‘AF’ moniker seems fitting for a gritty city like Philly.”
There’s nothing tongue-in-cheek, though, about the complexity of these RAF beers brewed with Second District’s house yeast, a blend of the dregs from some their favorite Belgian lambics, like Cantillon, roused and cultivated with the sunshine, air and wort of some true South Philly terroir. The yeast adds a funky tartness that brings a wild ale edge and dryness to the brews I’ve tasted, including the inaugural “Rustic AF,” all the while remaining wonderfully controlled and drinkable. –Craig LaBan, The Philadelphia Inquirer