Now that summer is here it is time to think about cool refreshing beers that can be consumed on sun-drenched days. Most people automatically go for lager when they want a cold beer but I think most lagers are very bland, too fizzy and make for a rather unsatisfactory drink. Most of us now are quite discerning when it comes to wine and no longer drink Liebfraumilch and other cheap sweet wines, preferring to spend more money on a decent bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. So why do we still consume huge amounts of industrially brewed tasteless lager? There is an alternative beer which is refreshing, cool and full of flavour, namely the numerous Wheat (or White) Beers which were traditionally brewed in Germany and Belgium.
The best known of these beers is the cloudy Belgian Hoegaarden which did enjoy some popularity a few years ago but now seems to be harder to find in the shops. Belgian wheat beers are brewed using barley, unmalted wheat, yeast, water, hops and some additional flavourings such as coriander and dried orange peel. These extra flavourings are very subtle and add character to the beer. Germany also produces wheat beers which are known as weissebier. They are brewed with malted barley, malted wheat, yeast, hops and water but no additional flavourings. German beers can be either cloudy (unfiltered) “heffe†or clear “kristalâ€. Wheat beers are top fermented like traditional ales but do not have a strong flavour of either malt or hops. The addition of wheat to the brew produces a totally different type of drink which I feel is well suited to be consumed on a summer’s day. Wheat beers also go well with spicy foods.
I have been around the local supermarkets in the Havant area and here are a few of my recommendations for quaffing on a summer’s day. Wheat beers should be drunk cool (5°- 8° C). Expect to pay from £1.80 -£2.00 for a 330 ml bottle and £2.00 - £2.50 for a 500 ml bottle.
Blanche de Namur - Du Bocq Brewery, Belgium. (4.5%) 330 ml.
Brewed in the French speaking south of Belgium this beer is very light coloured and not at all bitter or sour. It is very refreshing with a slightly spicy taste.
Hoegaarden - Inbev, Belgium (4.9%) 330 ml.
First brewed in 1966 this is the wheat beer which put white beers on the world’s stage. It is still brewed in the small Belgian town of Hoegaarden but the brand is owned by AB Inbev who are the world’s largest brewers. It has a clean refreshing, slightly tart taste.
Vedett Extra White - Duvel Moortgat, Belgium (4.7%) 330 ml
Duvel are best known for their strong pale ale but this wheat beer deserves attention. It is has a somewhat lemony taste and is slightly fizzy. This is the perfect drink to use to convert a lager drinker to wheat beers.
Hitachino Nest - Kiuchi Brewery, Japan. (5.5%) 330ml
Japan has a tradition of brewing beers which goes back to the C19 when German brewers introduced beer to Japan. This White Ale has a pale straw colour with a rich toasty flavour.
Franziskaner Weissbier - Spaten-Franziskaner, Germany. (5.0%) 500 ml
This Bavarian pale wheat beer has a slightly tart taste and is cloudy (unfiltered) It can also be found in dark (Dunkel) and strong (Bock) versions. Although there are no added flavours the beer has a spicy taste.
Weihenstephan Heffe Weissbier - Weihenstephaner, Germany. (5.4%) 500 ml
This cloudy beer is brewed by the world’s oldest brewery. It has flavours of banana and cloves, together with some bitterness.
Do ask for a wheat beer the next time you go out for a drink – I think you will be pleasantly surprised, especially if you have not tried this most refreshing and subtly flavoured drink.