Slap & Pickle: Freebridge Brewing's Award-Winning Sour Beer

From Freebridge Brewing:

The Dalles, Ore., April 17, 2025 — In the heart of The Dalles, Oregon, Freebridge Brewing has crafted a unique and award-winning sour beer that has captured the attention of craft beer enthusiasts and professionals alike: Slap & Pickle. This German-style Gose (GO-suh), with an ABV of 4.9% and 13 IBUS, combines traditional brewing techniques with unconventional ingredients to deliver a refreshing and tangy experience.

Slap & Pickle is brewed using a traditional German Gose method, which is delicately kettle soured with Nancy’s Yogurt. According to Steve Light, owner of Freebridge Brewing, “The lactobacillus culture imparts the sour in the beer, which is how many traditional Gose bases are made”. The addition of coriander, kosher sea salt, and dill pickle juice imparts a distinctive tart, savory, and herbaceous depth, making it a standout in its’ designated category.

Steve along with head brewer Brian Carter, were inspired to brew a pickle beer after sampling a similar experimental beer made by Solera Brewery in Parkdale, OR. Steve remembers it fondly. “It was called “Pickled in Parkdale” and it was a collaboration with Horse Brass Pub for their anniversary. They debuted it at The Holiday Hangover Brewfest in Hood River that year. One taste and I was in love”.

This innovative style and recipe has garnered significant recognition in the craft beer community. Slap & Pickle is consistently being sought after to be available by the glass at bars and restaurants across the region.

Slap & Pickle with its coriander, kosher sea salt, and dill pickle juice imparts a distinctive tart, savory, and herbaceous depth, making it a standout in its’ designated category.

Recently, Slap & Pickle was voted “Top 3 Sour Beers in Oregon” at the prestigious and competitive 2025 Oregon Beer Awards, and from the Untappd Community Beer Awards. Oregon Beer Awards has over 94 judges, tasting and rating over 1,000 beers from all over Oregon. To have Freebridge Brewing winning awards among much larger scale breweries is a feat.

Over the past couple of years since Slap & Pickle has been on tap and in cans, it has been gaining popularity receiving both gold and double-gold at the national competition “Best of Craft Beer, and from the 2024 Sip Magazine Northwest Beer Awards. These accolades don’t just add bragging rights to Freebridge’s portfolio, it shows that even in a small, historic building in downtown The Dalles, where there is only one brewery in business - can produce outstanding and creative beers that can wow judges and consumers alike, growing their reputation for such.

According to Steve, “what was once a one-off seasonal brew, has now become a full time core beer brewed several times a year to keep up with demand”. Brian is consistently brewing, and canning 4-packs on the brew floor. You can often step in on any given day and smell the zesty aromas of pickle juice and beer flowing through the hoses.

The name "Slap & Pickle" is a playful nod to the humorous movie “Beerfest”, where one of the characters has a rambunctious time out drinking beer, and erroneously tries to say “slap & tickle”. It’s that kind of humor that makes Freebridge fun. Beer is taken seriously, and so is business - but themselves? They’re enjoying themselves and having a laugh along the way.

Slap & Pickle is available at Freebridge Brewing's taproom in The Dalles in 4-packs, by the pint, and to-go in a 64oz growler. It can also be found in can and on tap at select retailers in the Pacific Northwest. For those interested in trying this award-winning sour, visiting the brewery in downtown The Dalles, OR or ask for it at your favorite local watering hole.

Haven’t tried it yet? Stop by the brewery and ask for a taste, or fill out a flight and experience even more flavors and styles. Whether you're a fan of sour ales or new to it, Slap & Pickle offers a unique tasting experience that celebrates the spirit of Freebridge Brewing and the Oregon beer scene’s ever growing creativity. If you ask Steve, pairing it with a simple “Brewer’s Burger” at the pub during lunch is a great idea.

Freebridge Brewing was founded in 2016 by fifth-generation Oregon ranch family Steve Light and Laurie Petroff-Light, and embraces their local heritage and their brewing philosophy. “Authentic Beers for Authentic People” The brewery's location in The Dalles, a town rich in pioneering history and culture, further connects the beer to its roots.

Recently, Slap & Pickle was voted “Top 3 Sour Beers in Oregon” at the prestigious and competitive 2025 Oregon Beer Awards, and from the Untappd Community Beer Awards. Oregon Beer Awards has over 94 judges, tasting and rating over 1,000 beers from all over Oregon. To have Freebridge Brewing winning awards among much larger scale breweries is a feat.

Over the past couple of years since Slap & Pickle has been on tap and in cans, it has been gaining popularity receiving both gold and double-gold at the national competition “Best of Craft Beer, and from the 2024 Sip Magazine Northwest Beer Awards. These accolades don’t just add bragging rights to Freebridge’s portfolio, it shows that even in a small, historic building in downtown The Dalles, where there is only one brewery in business - can produce outstanding and creative beers that can wow judges and consumers alike, growing their reputation for such. According to Steve, “what was once a one-off seasonal brew, has now become a full time core beer brewed several times a year to keep up with demand”.

The name "Slap & Pickle" is a playful nod to the humorous movie “Beerfest”, where one of the characters has a rambunctious time out drinking beer, and erroneously tries to say “slap & tickle”. It’s that kind of humor that makes Freebridge fun. Beer is taken seriously, and so is business - but themselves? They’re enjoying themselves and having a laugh along the way.

Slap & Pickle is available at Freebridge Brewing's taproom in The Dalles in 4-packs, by the pint, and to-go in a 64oz growler. It can also be found in can and on tap at select retailers in the Pacific Northwest. For those interested in trying this award-winning sour, visiting the brewery in downtown The Dalles, OR or ask for it at your favorite local watering hole.

Haven’t tried it yet? Stop by the brewery and ask for a taste, or fill out a flight and experience even more flavors and styles. Whether you're a fan of sour ales or new to it, Slap & Pickle offers a unique tasting experience that celebrates the spirit of Freebridge Brewing and the Oregon beer scene’s ever growing creativity. If you ask Steve, pairing it with a simple “Brewer’s Burger” at the pub during lunch is a great idea.

Freebridge Brewing was founded in 2016 by fifth-generation Oregon ranch family Steve Light and Laurie Petroff-Light, and embraces their local heritage and their brewing philosophy. “Authentic Beers for Authentic People” The brewery's location in The Dalles, a town rich in pioneering history and culture, further connects the beer to its roots.