Wheat beers hold a special place in the beer world as the style most likely to convert non-beer-drinkers. They're visually appealing — that beautiful hazy gold or pale orange is immediately welcoming — and their flavours lean fruity, spicy and refreshing rather than bitter or roasty. A cold Hefeweizen on a sunny afternoon is one of life's simple pleasures.
A Grain With History
Brewing with wheat rather than (or alongside) barley has a long history. Wheat gives beer a lighter colour, a distinctive hazy appearance (from wheat proteins), and contributes to a fuller, creamy head. It also lends a subtle tartness and bready, doughy flavour to the base. In medieval Bavaria, wheat beer was so valuable that it was a monopoly of the ruling Wittelsbach dynasty — ordinary brewers were forbidden to use wheat.
German Weizen: The Hefeweizen
The German Hefeweizen (hefe = yeast, weizen = wheat) is the most iconic wheat beer style. It gets its distinctive banana, vanilla and clove character not from spices but from a specific yeast strain — Weizen yeast at warmer fermentation temperatures produces isoamyl acetate (banana ester) and 4-vinyl guaiacol (clove phenol) naturally. The proportions vary by brewery and fermentation temperature.
Hefeweizen is traditionally served in a tall, curvy 500ml glass with the yeast sediment from the bottle swirled in at the end for maximum character. It should be hazy, not clear. A Kristallweizen (crystal wheat) is the filtered version — cleaner and crisper but less complex.
Belgian Witbier
Belgium's wheat beer tradition is distinct from Germany's. Witbier (white beer) is brewed with unmalted wheat and is spiced — traditionally with coriander and dried bitter orange peel (Curaçao orange). The yeast character is lighter than in Hefeweizen, and the spices add a citrusy, floral note. It's typically lighter in body and more overtly refreshing.
Hoegaarden is the most famous example and is credited with reviving the style almost single-handedly after it had nearly died out in the 1960s. Today witbier is one of the most popular summer beers in Spain.
Other Notable Wheat Styles
The wheat beer family is wider than just Hefeweizen and Witbier:
- American Wheat Ale — A cleaner, less spicy wheat ale fermented with neutral yeast. Sometimes dry-hopped for citrus/fruit notes. Easy-drinking and versatile.
- Dunkelweizen — A dark wheat beer. All the banana-clove yeast character of Hefeweizen plus chocolate and caramel malt notes.
- Weizenbock — A strong wheat beer (7–9% ABV). Rich and warming, with intense banana, dark fruit and malt character.
- Berliner Weisse — A sour wheat beer, very low in alcohol (2.5–3.5% ABV), tart and refreshing. Traditionally served with flavoured syrups (raspberry or woodruff).
How to Serve Wheat Beer
For bottled Hefeweizen, pour most of the beer into a rinsed glass tilted at 45°, then gently roll the remaining bottle on a flat surface to rouse the yeast sediment, and pour that in to cloud the beer. Serve cold (6–8°C) but not ice-cold — you want the aromas to be expressive. The tall, curvy Weizen glass is designed to showcase the head and capture the aromas.