Berliner Weisse

Berliner Weiße flavoured with woodruff

Berliner Weisse (or Weiße in current German spelling) is a type of wheat beer brewed exclusively in the area of Berlin, Germany.

Berliner Weisse is first mentioned in 1642 by the Berlin doctor J.S.Elsholz, as an enhancement of the beer Broyhan from Halberstadt. A famous Weisse drinker was Albrecht von Wallenstein, who during the Thirty Years' War complained in a letter to his subordinate captain Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburg that he "does not know how to satisfy his thirst, for [he could] not bear the taste of barley beer." Berlin was hard up for wheat at the time, so that it could not be used for brewing.

Later during the 19th century, Berliner Weisse was the most popular drink in Berlin. Several breweries specialised on this variety, every third realty hosted a tavern, among which were many inns.

Berliner Weisse contains only around 2.8% vol of alcohol, making it one of the weakest German beers. It is top-fermented, slightly barm-clouded and relatively sour, so the taste of Berliner Weisse differs significantly from other German wheat beers. The optimal drinking temperature is 8 to 10 °C.

It is served in a large goblet with a straw. Due to the sour taste, it is commonly drunk mixed with raspberry (Himbeersirup), lemon (Zitronensirup), or woodruff (Waldmeistersirup) syrup, and is then called Weiße mit Schuss ("Weisse with a shot [of Syrup]") creating Berliner Weiße rot, gelb or grün respectively. This mixed-drink is very refreshing in the hot summer months and is served throughout Berlin.

Another variation is the Weiße mit Strippe ("Weisse with a strip [of alcohol]"), which is Weisse mixed with a small amount of spirits like Kümmel or Korn. Other blends, for example with sparkling wine or liqueurs like Crème de Cassis (Weiße Royal) are also popular.

References

• Berliner Weisse Style Guide
• Deutsche Brauer Bund description of Berliner Weisse
• "Die Biere Deutschlands", 1988, by Dietrich Höllhuber and Wolgang Kaul, page 340