The Wonder of Wheat/Wit/Weizen

Let's Talk Wheat Biers. There are a broad variety of wheat biers available to quench your thirst, but how can one tell them apart? Let's see if we can't break this down a little.

Wheat biers generally contain a larger proportion of malted wheat than other top-fermented ales (at least 50%). It is quite common to see wheat included in the recipes of several of the biers you drink, often placed there to add smoothness in mouthfeel while also helping with head retention (foam that lasts). The main difference is, then, that wheat biers have much more wheat in them, hence the name. They are typically golden to amber in color with a theme of tartness that is shared among German Weizens and Belgian Wits. I have found wheat biers to be easily drinkable, and thus accessible for those odd folks who claim that they don't like bier. Maybe they just haven't discovered the biers that like them. Besides lambic, I find all of these biers to be easy to get into and light on the palate. So if your friend doesn't know what to order, and they're new to bier, look no further.

I believe that the Bavarian region of Germany is responsible for most of the wheat biers we see nowadays. There are five basic styles: Kristall Weizen (filtered/clear wheat), Hefeweizen (Unfilitered/wheat with yeast), Dunkelweizen (Dark wheat), Weizenbock (Strong wheat) and Berliner Weisse (Berlin-style).

Kristall weizens are widely available summer refreshers in Bavaria. I believe that tartness is what makes wheat biers good for quenching thirst, and Kristall weizens in the past could commonly have been found with a lemon slice hugging the brims of their glasses. This is a custom that has made its way here to the US, but we break tradition in that we will put lemon in any wheat bier, not just filtered ones. Try: Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier

Hefeweizen is a very popular bier to have with breakfast in Bavaria alongside sausage and bread and it has definitely blossomed here in the northwest. Although breweries like Widmer Brothers and Pyramid label their wheat biers as hefeweizens, I find them to be considerably less tart and dry, with a much weightier body than examples from Bavaria. Traditional Bavarian hefeweizens will have obvious notes of clove and banana, and you may also find some apple, plum and bubblegum flavors too. These fruity flavors come from the interaction of the wheat with crazy Bavarian yeasts. The reason you do not find these flavors in such proportion in American wheat ales is because a more conventional ale yeast is typically being used. It should still be fruity, but maybe a bit less of a wild man. Try: Schneider Weisse, Franziskaner Weissbier, Hacker-Pshorr Weissbier, Ayinger Bräu-Weisse, Ayinger Ur-Weisse, Pyramid Hefeweizen (Oregon), Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen (Oregon)

I only mention weizenbock as a style because I want to talk about Erdinger Pikantus. This is one of the most mysterious biers in the world to me (alongside Duvel) because of the delicate balance between strength (7.3% alcohol by volume) and malt character. The fact that a powerful bier like this one could still bring forth amazing subtle dark fruit flavors is amazing to me. If you’ve never had this bier before, you aren’t living the full life you could be. You can find it typically at any Whole Foods. I think that God probably likes this bier.

Berliner wiesse is one of those strange styles of bier that undergoes not only a yeast fermentation, but also is treated with bacteria, giving it mouth-puckering sour bite. This bier isn’t even consumed by itself- Berliners typically add raspberry or woodruff syrup to it to add sweetness. Definitely not typical for what you see around here, but worth a try if you can find it. Try: Berliner Kindl Weisse, Schultheiss Berliner Weisse

While Germany imposes its Reinheitsgebot, or purity law on all biers made inside the country, Belgium is quite the opposite. The purity law declares that bier must only have four ingredients: water, malt, hops, and yeast. In Belgium, it seems like they will throw anything into bier including (but not limited to) spices like coriander seeds, herbs like chamomile, and fruit like orange/lemon zests, cherries, pears and raspberries. So in the context of how “pure” Germans like their bier, it is fitting that Charlie Papazian refers to Belgium as the Disneyland of bier.

One style of wheat bier from Belgium that you absolutely cannot miss is the “white” or wit (say vit). These biers take the fruity flavors and spiciness and simply kick it up a notch. Or ten. They use Curaçao orange peels and coriander seeds in fermentation which adds extra tartness, as well as some minty, peppery flavors from the seeds. Instead of lemon, you may sometimes find these biers with an orange slice on the glass. If you're not sure whether or not you want fruit, take my advice: JUST GO WITH IT IT'S DELICIOUS. Don't listen to those commercials that try to tell you bier can't be consumed with fruit. That's like trying to tell David Bowie and Prince not to wear makeup. Seriously if this bier style doesn’t set your mouth into a salivating frenzy then I think you ruined your mouth. Try: Hoegaarden, Blue Moon Belgian White (Colorado), New Belgium Mothership Wit (Colorado)

Lastly, there is Belgian lambic, which is probably one of the wildest (literally) things I’ve ever tasted. Imagine this: after preparing the wort for fermentation, they simply spray it on the floor, open up the windows and allow the wild yeasts to come in and have at it! There is only a small area in Belgium where they can do this- outside the town of Lembeek, near Brussels where there are orchards all over the place. Typically lambics are “pungently sour, low in bitterness, very effervescent, peculiarly aromatic, aged for years and wonderfully and strangely addictive.” (Papazian) If you’re into Belgian biers then this is worth a try. Take mental notes when you try these biers, then come educate me. They’re a little bit intimidating. Try: Cantillon Gueze-Lambic

I'm once again not confident that any of this has been helpful, but I hope there is at least one bier here that you haven’t had before that you’ll now feel emboldened enough to go out and try. I love talking about this stuff and have tried not to bury you in details. Mostly I’m hoping that this could be a launchpad for some folks into the rest of the bier world. If you find yourself really enthralled with wheat biers, then I think you're not far off from seriously delving into some good, life-changing ales and lagers. Until then, Prost!