ONE A DAY
Julian Zelazny '96
For this, the final beer column of the semester,(1) wheat
beer is the topic. Wheat beers are the ultimate in summertime
quenchers and fortunately they are many and varied, so you'll be
able keep yourself interested until brewing season starts again.
Wheat beer is a generic term for any kind of beer with a
significant amount (40-60%) of malted or unmalted wheat in the
grain bill. There are so many beers that meet this criterion
that the discussion will necessarily be limited to a few for
reasons of space. As usual, Belgium provides the best selection
and the most interesting variations including the again-popular
witbier or biere blanche. Witbier is made with about 50%
unmalted wheat(2) causing it to have a permanent cloudiness. It
is a very pale beer, so the combination of pale color and
cloudiness gives witbier its name. The most distinctive flavor
components come from the use of coriander and tart Curacao orange
peels. Witbiers have a light, crisp dryness that will surely do
the trick on a hot summer day. The style was immensely popular
from the 18th century until the lager revolution after the Second
World War. Witbiers all but disappeared from Belgium by the
early 1960s when a beer revivalist named Pierre Celis
reintroduced the world to witbier in 1966.(3) His brewery now
belongs to the Interbrew brewing giant but Celis's Hoegaarden
White is still available. After selling out to Interbrew Celis
opened the Celis Brewery in Austin TX. His Texas brewery boasts
Celis White, an excellent beer by any standards, but you should
try it soon because Pierre Celis recently sold the Celis Brewery
to Miller Brewing Co., so who knows what it will be like when
they take over.
Germany offers two of the world's favorite wheat beers, the
sour and quenching Berliner weisse, and the sweeter Bavarian
weizen.
Berliner weisse is a difficult beer to find around here,
though some specialty beer stores carry Kindl Weisse. The
sourness that characterizes the beer comes from a careful blend
of lactic fermentation. This is a bit unusual since lactic
fermentation is produced by bacteria,(4) but this is one of a few
occasions that selected bacteria are welcome in brewing. Don't
let this scare you, the beer is delightful and very refreshing.
The product from the south of Germany is quite different
from its cousin in Berlin. The Bavarian wheat beers are not
simply sweeter but have the distinctive traits of cloves and
bananas in the flavor and aroma. These characteristics are not
from the addition of fruit or spices but are byproducts of
fermentation from yeasts that have been cultured for centuries to
provide these flavors. Many examples are available in the US,
often with the style designation "hefe-weizen," meaning "wheat
beer with yeast." Those bottled without the yeast are called
"krystall." All have a characteristic dense, rocky, white head,
pale color and quenching quality. Not surprisingly, most
American wheat beers are bland and uninspiring. There are a few
exceptions worth noting. In Portland Oregon the Widmer brewery
has a respectable Bavarian-style hefe-weizen. Rumor has it that
the hefe-weizen is their best selling product and is largely
responsible for the surge in popularity enjoyed by wheat beers in
the Northwest. More locally, the Seven Barrel Brewery in West
Lebanon has an eccentric wheat beer that they call simply Belgian
Wheat. It's most distinctive character comes from the use of a
specialty yeast called Brettanomyces, or Brett to its friends.
Brett character is often compared to "horsey" or "barnyard"
traits, and is usually associated with the more intense Lambic
beers of Belgium. Don't be intimidated by this description
because the effect is subtle and the beer is truly unique. While
this is obviously a beer that is not for everyone (they'll pour
you a small sample if you're unsure about ordering a whole one)
it is an experience that should be tried at least once. Have a
safe and relaxing summer, make sure you get your one-a-day and be
sensible if you have to drive.
1. I'd like to thank my regular readers for their support,
you've both been very helpful. Especially you, Mom.
2. Martin Lodahl, Witbier: Belgian White, Brewing Techniques
2(4) 24-27 1994.
3. Id.
4. Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson's Beer Companion, Running
Press 1993.
If you have any comments, questions or advice concerning this
article or anything else that may be on your mind, please feel
free to email me.
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