Berliner Weisse is a rare thing: a sour beer, intensely flavored and the embodiment of refreshment. Its tartness is generally mild; its carbonation high; its soft, wheaty flavor refreshing. Even Napoleon was a fan — a popular story says he dubbed the beer style “the Champagne of the North” while occupying the German capital in 1809. As you might expect, the style is said to have originated in Berlin near the end of the 16th century and was at one time the most popular beverage in the city. Three aspects set it apart from other beers: It’s brewed with wheat, is crafted to be low in alcohol (traditional versions are around 3 percent to 4 percent ABV) and is slightly sour (a flavor many Germans counteract through the addition of flavored fruit syrups.) Interested in tasting some Berliner Weisse? We offer five in our beer flight Craft Beer Crosscut 3.31.17: A Flight of Berliner Weisse.
North Coast Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse
3.4% ABV
The name of the style, Berliner Weisse, is protected by German law, which states that a beer should only be called by that name if it is brewed in Berlin, just as a Kölsch must be brewed in Köln. At the height of its popularity during the late 19th century, Berliner Weisse was the most favored alcoholic drink in Berlin, and nearly 50 breweries were producing it. However, it fell by the wayside, as pale lagers became the beers of choice worldwide. Currently in Berlin there are only about three makers. North Coast Brewing Co. has embraced the centuries old Berliner Weisse style, debuting a new, special release brew this week. Just in time for the season, Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse is with the juice of Montmorency cherries sourced from orchards in central Michigan. It tastes like cherry pie.
Ballast Point Sour Wench Blackberry Ale
7% ABV, 10 IBU
While interning in Germany, Ballast Point’s original Master Brewer Peter A’Hearn fell in love with the Berliner Weiss style of beer. He studied the traditional Berliner Weiss method known as a sour mash, which takes advantage of Lactobacillus delbruckii, a type of bacteria that occurs naturally in the malted grains used to make beer. In a sour mash, the brewer first combines his malted grains with hot water in order to extract the malt’s sugars — a routine step in the brewing process called “mashing.” Normally, he would then drain off the sugary liquid created in the mash and boil it with hops, but in a sour mash he’ll instead drop the mixture’s temperature and add some crushed, dry grains, inside which lives our friend L. delbruckii. The lacto-inoculated mash is held in a sealed container at high temperatures (95-120 degrees), which encourages the bacteria to multiply, eat the malt’s sugars and produce lactic acid — the same stuff that makes your milk taste sour. A few days later, the brewer combines this sour mash with another, un-soured batch to achieve a clean, mild tartness. Ballast Point adds one pound of Oregon Marion blackberries to its Sour Wench, which is kettle soured. In the end, it’s jammy, with tart blackberry jam, some fruit pie and a bone dry pithy quality. Lovely.
10 Barrel Cucumber Crush
5% ABV, 4 IBU
10 Barrel R&D brewer Tonya Cornett brewed this cucumber Berliner Weisse for the 2013 Portland Fruit Beer Fest. It went on to win a gold medal at the 2014 and 2015 World Beer Cup. The flavor is clean and refreshing, leading with clean and uncomplicated citrus and cukes before a flash of lactic acidity is doused by cucumber water, while the gourd’s invigorating peel is all that remains on the tongue after the sip.
10 Barrel Strawberry Crush
4% ABV, 4 IBU
Similar to 10 Barrel’s Cucumber Crush, Strawberry Crush is a light, crisp, and refreshing beer made to crush anywhere, anytime. This Berliner Weisse base has fresh strawberries and cayenne that pops with strawberry sweetness and Berliner saline tartness. It’s quaffable, smooth and fruity with just the right amount of tart and dry and a wheaty blonde back end.
Grand Teton Snarling Badger Berliner Weisse
7.5% ABV, 15 IBU
Grand Teton’s Snarling Badger Berliner Weisse drinks exceptionally light for its hefty 7.5 percent ABV. According to Snarling Badger hype, Grant Teton Brewmaster Rob Mullin wanted to brew “a beer that’s refreshing and drinkable, but that will also lay down and improve with age.” The first sip offers a big wheat taste up front that sours instantly. The funkiness of the lactobacillus snarls from start to finish. Huge lemon and pineapple notes color a sharp, tart mouthfeel and, combined with the solid wheat backbone, culminate in a playfully engaging taste.
