My first Berliner Weisse was in Ireland, before I even knew they existed. In fact, I’ve never had a sour up to this date, so you can imagine my face when my taste buds were hit by this puckering acidity. After this, it’s been a hard relationship to build with sour beers since I’m not a fan of tartness. However, I wanted to learn to love them in order to fully appreciate the spectrum of flavours they can deliver & I can say nowadays that I’ve reached my goal. Their acidity is now a synonym of refreshing & crisp, two characteristics I’m looking for when I’m thirsty.
Vital Statistics
ABV
A Berliner Weisse tends to stick to lower ABV, between 2.8 and 3.8%. It’s probably one of the less alcoholic styles of beer along with other traditional sours made around the world.
SRM
Typically very pale unless some fruits have been added, this style of beer should land somewhere along 2 to 4 SRM.
OG/FG
If you would like to brew one, aim for an original gravity close to 1.030 & a final gravity of 1.003 to 1.006.
IBU
These beers are not made for their bitter quality but rather for their refreshing sourness, so a minimal IBU of 3 to 8 should be expected.
Style Characteristics
Appearance
Usually, Berliner Weisse are quite pale in colour ranging from very pale straw to pale gold. Depending on the filtration process of the brewery, their opacity varies from clear to hazy, although I must say I mostly come across cloudy ones. The effervescence is quite muscular & the style has often been compared to Champagne due to this particular trait. The head is normally large, dense & white with a poor retention.
Aroma
The most dominating aspect of this style is the acute sour note. This sourness along with the wheat flavours are reminiscent of sourdough bread or plain yogurt. Fruity esters are quite prominent lending some lemon & apple. Floral notes can also be part of the profile although not as common. There is no discernible hop presence, so highly tropical or green aromas are not a characteristic of the Berliner Weisse. Some brewers go the traditional route by using some Brettanomyces yeast in faint quantity. No matter how sour the beer might be, any traces of a vinegar odour is a fault.
Flavour
The dominant characteristics come from the fermentation of sugars by lactobacillus bacteria. They produce lactic acid which has a rounded sourness & a Greek yogurt flavour. The sourness should never be acetic, which is the acidity found in vinegar. The wheat gives flavours of bread, grain or sourdough as well as lemon & apple notes that can be exacerbated by the bacteria. In classic Berliner Weisse, there shouldn’t be any residual sugars perceptible. The bitterness provided by the hops shouldn’t be detectable, instead, it’s the acidity that brings balance to the cereals. Again, some Brettanomyces might be used to lend in a subtle funky note while contributing to the sourness.
Molecules
Mouthfeel
Due to the low ABV, the body should be quite light. The effervescence should be far above average & the acidity reminiscent of tart apples. All of these characteristics put together creates a very refreshing & crisp beer, that shouldn’t feel heavy.
Overall Impression
The Berliner Weisse is usually a very pale German wheat ale fermented mostly by bacteria. This fermentation produces very little alcohol & a lot of lactic acid creating a light & crisp beer. The aromas & flavours should only come from the wheat & the bacteria, although there might be other cereals added in some examples as well as a minimal Brettanomyces character. The aromas can often be described as yogurt, lemony, sourdough, bread, tart apples & floral. The hops should be used parsimoniously since no hop flavours nor bitterness should be detected. Any vinegar aroma or acidity is considered a default in this style of beer & would mostly mean a contamination by acetic bacteria.
Common Ingredients
Common Hops: Tettnang, Saaz, Hallertauer, Spalt
Common Cereals: Malted Wheat, Pilsner
Microorganisms: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus sp., Brettanomyces bruxellensis
Common Examples
*Most of the beers below contain other ingredients, mostly fruits. Since fruit syrups are commonly used with Berliner Weisse in Germany, I’ve decided to include those as well. However, any hopped, barrel-aged or double/imperial versions haven’t been added. Not that they aren’t good, just that they don’t represent what a more traditional Berliner Weisse is. Unadulterated Berliner Weisse are hard to find.
Canada: Solstice d'Été - Dieu du Ciel!; Sour Weisse - Four Winds Brewing; Kleine Weisse - Microbrasserie Le Castor; Berliner Mango Weisse - Brasserie Dunham;
USA: Miami Madness - J. Wakefield Brewing; Ever Weisse - Night Shift Brewing; Ching Ching - Bend Brewing Company
South America: Weissermelon - Pirate Republic Brewing Co.; Psychedelic Weisse - Bold Brewing; Sourmind - Cervejaria Dogma; Yellow Tart - Cervejaria Dádiva
Germany: 1809 Berliner Style Weisse - Dr. Frietz Briem; Berliner Style Weisse, Brettanomyces Lambicus Special Edition - Bayerischer Bahnhof Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei
Europe: Berliner Framboos-Raspberry - Brouwerij Alvinne; Hallo Ich Bin Berliner Weisse Raspberry - Mikkeler; Prenzlauer - Põhjala; Berliner Weisse Framboise - Popihn; Passion is My Confession - AF Brew
Australia: Shirazzaweiss - Beerfarm; Passionista - Wayward Brewing
History
The Berliner Weisse’s origin is unknown. However, a few theories have roamed around. The most probable one is that Cord Borihan, a 16th-century brewer copied a recipe from Hamburg & popularized it. A certain Dr. J.S. Elsholz would have brewed the first one in Berlin based on Borihan’s recipe. Another popular theory is that the Huguenots have developed their own versions of the Red & Brown Flanders when they migrated through Northern Germany. The earliest recording of a Berliner Weisse would be from 1572 in Berlin. Being a very old beer style, many anecdotes & stories revolve around it. The most famous one is that Napoleon’s troops would have named it the “Champagne of the North”. In Europe, it is protected by law & can only be made in Berlin, other brewers must label their beer Berliner-Style Weissbier. The Berliner Weisse has seen a lot of ups & downs. In the 20th century, the beginning of adding fruity syrups in the beer made it more palatable, the sweetness balancing the tartness. Nowadays, it’s barely popular in Germany, its country of origin, but as known a resurgence in America where countless breweries are offering their own versions of the Berliner Weisse. Always light. Always tart, often fruity, a beer made to quench anyone’s thirst.
How to Serve
Glass
Like I mentioned in previous post there is glassware that is designed to complement a wide range of beer styles, such as Teku, tulips & snifters. These are my favourite choices. For the Berliner Weisse, it is fairly common to serve it in a Goblet in order to have a vessel that’s easy to sip on. Goblets also often possess a nucleation point increasing the effervescence which in turns maintain a great head & releases more aromatic molecules.
Temperature
The perfect way to enjoy a Berliner Weisse is to serve it at a proper temperature. This means between 6.5-10 °C (44-50 °F). Depending on the temperature of your refrigerator, to achieve this temperature, you should drink the beer in the following 20-30 minutes after service in a standard glass.
Pairings
Vegetables & Fruits
Berliner Weisse tends to go well with fried food like French fries due to the combined effects of the effervescence & the acidity, which will cut right through the fat. Obviously citrus are good pairings with Berliner Weisse, especially when talking about lemons, since it creates resonating aromas. Other than citrus, any tart fruits will work wonderfully with this beer. Think berries, pineapples, kiwis, passion fruit, apples or even fresh & crispy salads will complement the profile of a Berliner Weisse. Earthy vegetables like roots & mushrooms tend to be amplified by this sour ale. Suggestions: Arugula salad with strawberries served with a lemon & apple cider vinegar & fried onion rings.
Meats
Like any other pairings, the intensity of the beverage has to match the dish. In this case, a light-bodied delicate beer tends to go best with fish & seafood when talking about meat. Anything fresh, like sushi, oysters or ceviche, will complement the crispness of the ale as well as the subtle citrusy flavours. Otherwise, to aim for something similar to the French fries mentioned before, a rich Fish & Chips will make a contrast pairing with the Berliner Weisse. The acidity & effervescence of the beer will work together to cleanse the palate & to cut right through the grease. If you’re looking more toward red meats, go for a plate of cured meats with some aged ham. Again, these are rich in fat & the combining effect with the beer is really satisfying. Another less common option would be to pair it with poultry, like chicken or even turkey. A light lemon & parsley butter poured over it will do just fine. Suggestion: Fish & Chips served with a creamy lime tartar sauce.
Cheese
Most of the common cheese go perfectly well with a Berliner Weisse for the same reason already mentioned. The fats in the dish make a pairing based on texture contrasts. Try to steer clear of really funky blue cheeses since they often have bold flavours that may dominate the ale. However, something soft like a Gorgonzola should play well with this wheat beer. Suggestions: Brie fondant topped with parsley butter.
Breakfast
Berliner Weisse is a perfect match for most things related to breakfast. Anything containing eggs is a great pairing, since the flavours of the wheat beer will blend in a complementary way with the eggs of the dish. Crepes & pancakes would also be a good option, as would be French toasts. Freshly chopped fruits mounted on top of a Greek yogurt is, in my opinion, a match made in heaven for this type of beer. It complements the flavours of the fruity Berliner Weisse, it resonates with its lactic notes and there is a contrast between the fat & the acidity. All the possible pairings styles are present simultaneously. On something different than food, the citrus flavours & the low alcohol makes it quite the rival for the classic Mimosa or even as a substitute for orange juice. Suggestion: Plain Greek yogurt with freshly chopped pineapples, cantaloupes & honey.
Desserts
A regional pairing with a Berliner Weisse would be a dessert version of the popular Bretzel, something made with almond dough or lemon zest would also do the trick. Since it’s such a delicate beer in terms of flavours, anything too sweet or too intense like chocolate will quickly overpower the ale. Cheesecake, lemon pie & fruit salad are all good bets. Suggestion: Key lime pie with custard & lemon sorbet.
Seasons/Occasion
It hasn’t been dubbed the Champagne of the North for nothing. Berliner Weisse can easily take the place of any sparkling wine at Christmas, Thanksgiving, at a birthday or on any other event. The part on breakfast covered the essential of it, but most of my best pairing with this beer has been during brunch with common breakfast food. Otherwise, under the sun, by the pool or in any other hot weather conditions, these types of crisp, light & sour beer are perfect quench-thirsts.
Exploration for the Curious Mind
This is the section where you may discover beverages that offer similar aromas or flavours commonly found in a classic Berliner Weisse. It can work both ways, either you love this style of beer & want to try something else or you’ve never had it before & would like to try it but you aren’t sure if it will match your tastes.
Beers
Most light wheat ales would be something to try if Berliner Weisse are among what you like. Hefeweizen & Witbier in particular share plenty of similarities with it. Other sour beers which have common traits with the Berliner Weisse are Gose, Lambics & some Gueuze. Fruit beer tends to also lend a certain acidity along with their fruity flavours. In fact, if you already love Berliner Weisse, anything wild or funky will mostly please you.
Spirits
Since most spirits don’t carry the light, sour & crisp refreshing aspect of the Berliner Weisse, I would stick to things that are fruity, not too intense & preferably not aged in wood. Some Gin might do the trick as well as well as some Arak or other spirits based on spices. I would rather try some cocktails like a Gin Rickey, a Tom Collins, a Margarita, a Daiquiri, a Madras or any other tart & citrus-forward drink.
Wines
I mentioned it earlier with the reference to Champagne but if you already enjoy sparkling wines, Berliner Weisse shouldn’t be too far from what you’re used to. Most white wines with a sharp acidity often share characteristics with the beer style, like Sauvignon Blanc, dry Riesling or some Chablis. If you only like big bold reds or unctuous Chardonnays, then maybe Berliner Weisse isn’t made for you due to its delicate nature & bright acidity. However, I still recommend trying it since exploration
The Reference
Photography by : Marina Zaharkina
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