Hefeweizen--Beergarden
Favorite Goes Mainstream
By
Bodo Eichler of Quinn’s Lighthouse
Hefeweizen or Weissbeer has been a
cult beer in German beer gardens for centuries. The various easy
drinking styles of this beer continue to attract new fans and
support legions of Beergarden Operators/ Publicans far beyond
Bavaria’s famous Octoberfest. This notorious annual Rite of
Passage for beer drinkers has introduced millions of foreign
tourists to serious beer drinking followed by the occasional
monstrous hangover and, surprisingly enough, the desire to seek out
similar pleasures when they returned home.
Such vacation memories have
created new markets for European-style beers that are enjoying
steady growth catering to adventurous and affluent beer drinkers.
The emergence of the microbrew industry followed and, after some
experimentation, proved that their stuff could provide just as many
happy drinking experiences with hangovers to match. The selection of
beers available to us now is vast, characterized by regional
preferences, state regulations of alcohol content, and container
sizes. To get all this into perspective, it is useful to understand
the two principal brewing techniques for beer.
Family of Ales
Ale is the oldest method of
brewing, distinguished by high temperature in top fermentation vats.
It was brewed originally in open vats in the centuries before
refrigeration. Ale brewing was the basis for seasonal beers, such as
Anchor Steam Summer Ale, as brewing could not take place in summer
except in regions favored by cold climes, deep cellars or caves.
Ales can be thought of as the
"red wines" of beers. Production is more complex, e.g.,
expensive. The ale beer styles are dramatically different,
encompassing a broad range of flavors from white and light as in
Hefeweizen, full-bodied ambers, hoppy ales and strong dark brews
like Heineken Dark or Arrogant Bastard Ale.
Family of Lagers
Lagers are created by a more
modern method of brewing distinguished by low temperature bottom
fermentation made possible through the use of refrigeration,
starting in 1856. The Lager method of brewing also provides
production controls and is, since it first began, used year round,
creating the advent of mass production for beers. The majority of
U.S. domestic beers, like Coors, Miller, or Budweiser, fall into
this category.
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What os Wheat Beer?
While most ale is brewed from a
mixture of barley, malts, and hops, Hefe Weisse or Weizen is brewed
without hops; instead, it is predominantly brewed from wheat and
some barley malt with specialized yeast that releases natural Phenol
compounds to create aromas of clove, vanilla, green apple, plums,
black currant, or lemon. Depending on its German region of origin,
Wheat Beer is presented as unfiltered, filtered clear, amber, or
dark styles. The majority of Wheat Beers are sold as draft, which,
to its fans, is the preferred way. The most traditional German
brewers also still offer un-pasteurized bottle-fermented styles some
of which still have yeast residues in them.
Hefeweizen in its purest form is a
well- carbonated cloudy ale with a clove-like aroma and a light
citrus aftertaste. There are also very distinct regional styles,
which, in the case of Germany, echo the pronounced differences
between northern and southern German life styles.
North Versus the South German
Weiss Styles
The northern-style Weiss beer is
distinguished by its clear color, intense carbonation, and fruity
acidity. Its unique brewing style adds a special strain of lacto
bacillus (del Bruckii) to the traditional wheat, barley, malt, and
yeast fermentation ingredients. Beer brewing in this style started
in 1642 in Berlin as "Berliner Weisse." It was later
promoted as the "Champagne of Beers" to emphasize its
bottle fermented production style and sparkling clear color. There
is also a "Bremer Weisse," which is even drier but of a
bronze color. Both beer traditions dictate that they are served in
low, wide- brimmed glasses mixed with a shot of red raspberry (Himbeer)
or green woodruff (Waldmeister) to temper their rather tart basic
flavors. Additionally, a slice of lemon is floated in the concoction
for added drama.
Given the low alcohol content of
this style of beer and the notoriously inclement weather in northern
Germany, the serving of a "shot" of high alcohol spirit
with the beer became tradition. Kuemmel (caraway) and Korn (pure
firewater) remain the favorites. The recent popularity of
"shots" of exotic-flavored liquors and beer garnished with
a wedge of lemon or lime probably emanated from this German custom.
The Bavarian style of Hefeweizen
offers a wide variety of style. Bottle-fermented Schneider Weisse
with a light amber color and yeast/ wort residue in the bottle is
considered the benchmark. The unfiltered cloudy draft beer version
is the most popular in beer gardens and bars alike. This is followed
by a "Dunkel" (dark) malty version which I consider the
stepping stone from light beer to dark beers.
Unlike their northern neighbors,
Bavarians like their beers in tall glasses or "steins" of
intimidating proportions unadorned by anything but an attractive
head of foam matched only by the decoltee of the always attractive
server. Tourists that dare to ask for a garnish of lemon with their
Hefeweizen will be admonished that the thing to have with your beer
is one of those diabolically hot white radishes (radi) instead.
"Shots" with beer in Bavaria--no way! To a Bavarian, a
"shot" is likely to be another liter of beer to be
savoured and enjoyed at leisure.
Bodo’sSelection of Wheat Beers
Berliner Weisse,
northern Germany
The little bottle that packs a
punch. On its own, it is really very dry and tart. Traditionally
served with your choice of green"Waldmeister"(woodruff) or
red "Himbeer" (raspberry).
Schneider Weisse, the
classic Bavarian
The cult Hefeweizen to measure all
others by. Start with the classic amber version.
Erdinger Weissbier,
Munich Bavaria
The best-selling wheat beer in the
world . You decide ! Erdinger Dunkel is my favorite.
Franziskaner Hefe Weisse, Bavaria
Unfiltered, with distinct wheat
beer flavors of clove vanilla and lemon.
Pyramid draft Hefe, California
Local microbrew that has gathered
a well deserved following.
There are many more German and
local microbreweries offering their version of Kristall light amber,
unfiltered dark and even potent bock versions. The increasing
popularity of Hefeweizen beer has paved the way for the introduction
of nontraditional bottle styles. It all started when the car gods in
Stuttgart acquiesced to allowing cup holders in their exalted
vehicles. This put real pressure on the Bavarians to acknowledge
that there may be other ways to consume beer than incredibly large
steins. Watch out for the introduction of regular-sized long neck
bottles in sexy blue colors.
Enjoy celebrating Octoberfest
through October. May your glass always be half full!!!