The summer is in full swing, and if the heat doesn't falter, it'll be a long road through August. Of course, one way to stop sweating is to start drinking (hydration is important), and if you'd like a refreshing, seasonal departure from your usual brew (Guinness doesn't always hit me as refreshing) as you stand vigil at the thermometer, try a beer that's got some wheat in its barley. The substituted grain provides a highly crisp spin on a beer, and throws in some interesting flavors—cloves, fruit (mostly citrus) and honey.
Wheat beers come in two mildly distinguishable categories: Belgian witbier, and German weizenbier. The latter is where we get the highly visible "hefewiezen" name (technically, a hefewiezen is a wheat beer that's unfiltered), and seems to differ from the former in its focus on the refreshing qualities of a wheat brew, rather than experimenting with flavor. Belgians are generally more refined beers—to the level of being nearly snobbish—and capitalize on complicated taste and high alcohol content. I'll be reviewing some of each, so pick your poison. Also, I should note that wheat beers are often pleasantly enhanced by a slice of orange, so if your bartender asks you if you'd like some orange in your beer, just nod.
I've decided to synchronize my wheat-beer research (i.e. drinking a lot of it) with watching the third-place World Cup match—Germany against Portugal. As it's been an aggressive first half for both teams, I'm at the 25th minute and haven't gotten much into the Paulaner Hefeweizen I've started off with. Brewed in Munich since 1634, Paulaner seems a fitting homage to the Cup's host team, who have played spectacularly this month, and whom I'm sad to see miss the finals (though I have to tip my hat to Italy's one-two punch in the 119-120th minutes). This hefeweizen immediately strikes me as incredibly crisp, with just a slight touch of the fruitiness so characteristic of a summer brew. However, its lack of taste gets old about two-thirds of the way down the bottle, and the more-than-360-year-old recipe seems to be capitalizing more on the refreshing qualities of wheat beer than the possibilities of its flavor. The 40th minute is almost upon us, so it's best that I pass my scrutiny on.
With its pretty gold-foil wrapping on the neck, its stained-glass logo and its medieval script, Leffe Blond presents an air of an intimate brewing tradition. Brewed in Belgium since 1240 (originally by Trappist monks), it certainly trumps Paulaner in its "I'm really old" angle, but experience doesn't save it from complication. Less crisp than Paulaner, it hosts a bolder flavor—with a bit more spice and malt to it—but its taste gets a little muddled, which keeps me guessing on how I really feel about it. The bottle is emptying, and the second half is starting, so ambiguity reigns. Bottom line: Leffe has a generic Belgian/wheat beer flavor that is hard to nail down, and is a drier brew than Paulaner but has a bit more kick to it. Germany just scored in the 55th minute with a fantastic strike by Schweinsteiger; so I'll drift my attention back to the TV and try and sober up a little. Here's Shweinsteiger again with a free kick into a Portuguese own-goal; the Germans are becoming electric.
Germany goes up 3-0 in the 77th minute with yet another Shweinsteiger strike—this time untouched by the flailing Portuguese defense—and I clearly have no choice but to crack open a third. I've dipped well into my Hoegaarden as Portugal gets some respect with an excellent cross by Luis Figo to a diving header by Nuno Gomes in the 88th minute, and the game ends with Germany on top 3-1. Billed as the "original Belgian white beer," Hoegaarden is incredibly light and delightfully sweet, highlighted with significantly more citrus to it than the previous two brews. This Belgian splits the difference in the marketing-itself-as-timeless category, stamping itself with a proud "Anno 1445," and it borrows the surprisingly refreshing qualities of Paulaner and combines them with the satisfying taste that Leffe lacks. Right now, Hoegaarden's on top of my recommendation list, but I have three summer brews to go, and they may need to be saved for the finals.
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