Beer Style Guide: Get to Know Weissbier with Em Sauter
When summer comes around, there’s nothing finer than weissbier on a hot day.
Beers have always been made with wheat for centuries and when we think of Germany, we usually think of lagers of all colors. But the wheat beer has been part of German society forever, particularly in the southern state of Germany. It’s a unique beer style with a unique taste and a unique pouring tradition.
First, a weissbier (“weiss” is the German word for “white”) is also called a hefeweizen. “Hefe” in German means yeast and “weizen” means wheat. When you filter the hefeweizen, the beer style becomes a "kristalweizen," a clear, sparkling beer that has all the same flavor attributes of a hef without the haziness and big mouthfeel.
Modern white beers in Europe, particularly Central Europe designate large wheat usage. We will talk about “witbiers” from Belgium later, which is their white beer offering. We will also talk about other wheat beer offerings that are take-offs of the hefeweizen next week.
History of Weissbier
Hefeweizens were once reserved only for royalty and they had a monopoly on the style for hundreds of years in Bavaria. During this time, wheat was for bakers so they would have enough to make their bread but only royalty were allowed to use it in beer making. This stood for a few centuries.
The modern hefeweizen as we know it today dates to 1872 when Georg Schneider was granted the ability to brew wheat beers in Bavaria (they had become an unpopular beer and almost extinct style). Schneider had some setbacks, like their brewery being destroyed during WW2 but in the end, the beer became popular in the 1960’s and is still very popular in Southern Germany, especially in the summertime. With the rise of craft brewing, hefeweizens are now brewed worldwide.
Weissbier Tasting Notes
Brewed with at least 50% wheat malt and the rest usually pale malt, the mashing regimen involves a step mash with rests to allow for ferulic acid (oh no, we’re getting sciency!) to be created- this acid rest at around 115F helps spur the creation of phenols, and you get that lovely clove flavor in the beer. In Germany and specialty breweries like Dovetail Brewery in Chicago, the beer is open fermented with a special spout on the top (it looks like a large, steel pitcher) to catch the fresh yeast to reuse.
What you are looking for in a good Hef: hazy golden/orange color with a large plume of white head. The aromas of banana and clove plus fresh baked bread should be evident in taste and smell. In the mouthfeel, you want a vigorous carbonation that almost feels like the bubbles are biting you (we call that “carbonic bite”) - this makes the beer even more refreshing. They also make a filtered version called “kristallweizen” if you prefer to see through your beer.
When in Bavaria, head to a summer outdoor beer garden and order up a hefeweizen. The beer will come served in a beautiful .5L glass called a vase (it looks just like a flower vase; I actually use it as a flower vase sometimes!) that shows off the beer’s beautiful color and showcases that huge plume of white head.
A note about buying German hefs in America- LOOK FOR FRESH! Hefeweizens go downhill quite quickly after packaging. You want to stay away from that heavy vanilla sweetness and drab color that wheat beers can get in time. Look for hefeweizens in the cooler or breweries in your area that brew authentic interpretations.
Beers to try
Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen
Dating from 1039, Weinhenstapher is one of the oldest breweries in the world. Their Hef is easily procured in can and bottle and is damn tasty.
Urban Chestnut Schnickelfritz
One of my favorite hefeweizens made stateside is Urban Chestnut. Their 16 oz can of hefeweizen pairs with a variety of foods. Still thinking about that burger and hef combo I had at Small Cheval in Chicago some years back.
The OG but slightly darker than others with a rich amber hue. Schneider are the wheat beer specialists and brew a variety of wheat beers to suit all tastes.