Know Your Styles: Berliner Weisse

Urban Chestnut's Berliner Weiss 

As we approach the end of one of the best summers I can remember in Indiana a beer style I've had an affinity for is the Berliner Weisse style. This once obscure style at one time was brewed by over 700 breweries in Berlin, but it has been on the decline in Berlin for many decades.

This is a style that is finding a big home here in the United States, however.  At the Indiana Microbrewers Festival I was very pleased to see a number of breweries taking on this wonderful summer style.

The beginnings of this style are murky at best.  I've found articles saying there are references to it as far back as the 1500's.  The style peaked in the 1950's in Germany and has nearly been shuttered with only three larger scale breweries producing the beer in Berlin. This was also a very popular style in the United States after the Civil War with German immigration to the United States, but the style died with Prohibition.  The good news is that with the innovation in the American market we are starting to see this style all over the US, and some of those even making their way to packaging to the consumer.  Most likely though if you see a Berliner Weisse available it will be directly at the brewpub or brewery.

At is core Berliner Weisse is a wheat beer with usually 50%  or more wheat malt.  Traditionally it is very low in alcohol.  It is usually sub-4.5% ABV, but you will find some Berliner Weisses with strength above that.  They are slightly tart and acidic with an almost yogurt-like sour punch up front, but they are crisp and refreshing on the finish. It is one of those beers that you want to have several in a sitting on a warm day.  If you are really lucky that would be in a beer garden somewhere with plenty of good friends and conversation.  As a kid lemonade defined a summer drink for me, but now as adult this beer fits that mold for me.

Sometimes you might see places that will mix Berliner Weisse with syrups.  You might see woodruff and raspberry syrup quite often.  That was really so that people could control their level of tartness before modern temperate control and brewing technology.  I actually prefer my beer without the syrups now, and I think they taste just great.

Bottled versions you can buy in Indy:

The Bruery's Hottenroth  and 1809 Berliner Weiss (Professor Fritz Briem).
A real rarity is Three Floyds I < 3 Deesko.  Love the beer and the label art.  

Be on the lookout though for this style when you are at your local brewpub.  Hopefully you will see one before the summer is over.

This is a style I hope we continue to see more and more from in the coming years.

Cheers!

Matt

Indiana Beer Week Bar Hop - Day Three - In Rainbows

Mike, Gina, and the Electric Boogaloo Crew descended upon Greenwood's Oaken Barrel for day three of our latest excuse to drink - Indiana Beer week.

Tonight's beer of honor was none other than Oaken Barrel's Berliner Weise - a sour beer that allows you, the customer, in on the fun by giving you a choice of syrups to add to the beer.

This is certainly an odd choice of beer to brew - only two commercially known version of the beer are available, and the process of brewing this particular style can be hazardous to a brewery's equipment. "Skull and Crossbones!" were the words used by assistant brewer Andrew Castner.

So why brew the style? The choice was inspired by head brewer Mark Havens' trip to Europe. After discussing the style, the two brewers headed to Shallos to give the available examples a whirl. Oaken Barrel is trying to introduce small batch beers throughout the year, in an effort to liven up their reputation. I'd say this is an excellent example of that effort.

The beer comes out without any syrup added, and looks like this:


But with a mix of sweet syrups soon looks like this:


From left to right: Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Kiwi

The taste without syrup: A malty, sort of ashy thing, with just a hint of sourness. Despite our initial concerns, this wasn't an overly sour beer, and goes quite well by itself.

The taste with syrup: Same sort of nose, but the taste is something different - the syrups add a tart and punchy sort of slushpuppy element. Really tasty. And pretty fun, actually.

This style won't last long - Mark thought it might last a week - so if you're interested, head on down soon. It's a beer experience you won't soon replicate.