The best known and original wheat beer is hefeweizen, the wheat beer which was first produced in Germany since at least 700 B.C. . Using wheat as an ingredient in beer was the first exception made to the famous beer purity law, the Rheinheitsgebot, in 1602 and that exception was made specifically so the nobility could continue to enjoy this style. This Bavarian style of wheat beer is pale and cloudy. It is bottled and served unfiltered so the yeast used during fermentation is still present. This special strain of yeast contributes banana and clove notes to the aroma and flavor of the beer. While many people insist on serving this style with a slice of lemon, the refreshingly sour acidity should be more than enough to quench ones thirst.
A world class Hefeweizen to try: Schneider Weisse
Berliner Weisse is a light, sour style of German wheat beer originating in Berlin. Huguenots may have originated the style as they traveled through France to Flanders, having first mentioned it in the 1600s. During their time, there were said to be seven hundred weissbier breweries in Berlin. Later, in 1809, Napoleon and his troops identified Berliner Weisse as the Champagne of the North. He requested the beer be served with syrup to cut its extreme level of acidity. Berliner Weisse has a barely perceptible hop content and in Germany is still usually laced with the woodruff syrup Napolean enjoyed. Fermented with ale yeast and Lactobacillus delbruckii the bacterium contributes a dominant mouth-puckering sourness which makes it an excellent food pairing beer. Try it with fried chicken or fried green tomatoes for an amazing pairing.
A world class Berliner Weisse to try: Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse
Adventures in good beer and great food in Berkeley, Brooklyn and beyond
The best known and original wheat beer is hefeweizen, the wheat beer which was first produced in Germany since at least 700 B.C. . Using wheat as an ingredient in beer was the first exception made to the famous beer purity law, the Rheinheitsgebot, in 1602 and that exception was made specifically so the nobility could continue to enjoy this style. This Bavarian style of wheat beer is pale and cloudy. It is bottled and served unfiltered so the yeast used during fermentation is still present. This special strain of yeast contributes banana and clove notes to the aroma and flavor of the beer. While many people insist on serving this style with a slice of lemon, the refreshingly sour acidity should be more than enough to quench ones thirst.