Historical tastes
Let’s be clear. I love beer - drinking it, that is. But I don’t know much about the brewing process or the rich history and culture that goes along with it. The more beer I drink from different places around the world, the more I want learn about both the beer and the place they come from. I’m also interested in discovering the American-made cousins and how they hold up to their ancestral heritage.
Weissbier
I think this may be one of the most polarizing beers I’ve ever encountered. Not only do you have both people that love it or hate it, but the folks that love it may only love one type of flavor profile. I know that sounds confusing, so let met lay down some knowledge on you.
First off, weissbier is old… Really old. We’re talking early 1600’s old*. And due to Bavarian purity law, this (and all other German beer) is strictly controlled not only to ingredients but who is allowed to brew the beer. This is important to know because of the two distinct flavors of weissbier.
The two predominant flavors of weissbier are banana/bubble gum (sweet and fruity) or clove (earthier or slightly spicy). I really thought there was no way for a hefeweizen to taste like bubble gum until I had one that tasted exactly like Juicy Fruit gum. It was so strange and made a profound impact on my taste buds. I crave that bizarre taste all the time now. As far as the clove taste goes - that one is far less desirable to me. I’m not going to lie, some weissbier with that clove-y taste also smells like a sweaty gym sock. It’s so unappetizing and off-putting.
It’s important to say that there are no hard rules that say these are the only two (or 3) things that people taste and that they can blur between both fruit and clove.
So what makes these stinky brews so special? Ah, I’m glad I asked. To me the number one thing that sets these wicked wheat beers apart from the rest has got to be the way they ferment the things. Most beer is fermented in a big ole stainless steel tank that’s closed off to make sure no impurities get into the mix. Weissbier doesn’t care about that. In fact, the traditional way to ferment these beers is to use an open-air fermentation tank. Open… Just anything can float in there. It seems, however, that traditional brewers go through a lot of hassle to make sure no rogue yeasts get into the tank. Lastly, the beer gets bottled and can then ferment a second time in the bottle.
Like any beer - find some weissbier and try it. If you don’t like that one, try another one. I promise you’ll find one you love.
*Some historians date weissbier back nearly 3000 years, but it’s hard to say.
Pilsner
So the history books tell a story that a Bavarian dude went to a place called Pilsen in the mid 1800s to introduce the area to his new style of beer to the folks. It was different because it was golden and clear. Not sour and nasty and unappetizing (I’m spitballing here.) In fact, the pilsner revolution was spurred on because the ales of the time were so nasty and left sitting that they ended up spoiling.
This new pale lager ushered in a new flavor. Literally a brand new taste that nobody has ever experienced before. This new beer was light, hoppy, slightly spicy and extremely refreshing. It makes me wonder what that first sip for the townsfolk must have been like. I can only guess that it was crazy and not too unlike my first sip of pilsner. Eye opening, to say the least.
Fun fact about me - when I first started branching out beyond the grasp of the powerful hazy IPA, I went to my local beer store and picked up some Pilsner Urquell. It wasn’t until I was doing research for this post that I learned that the worlds first brewery to produce a pale lager known as pilsner was Pilsner Urquell. That happens to be one of my favorite pilsners to this day.
As this new brew in Czech began to take off, it made its way into Germany. Some German brewers made their versions of pilsners while others made a new pale lager that was distinctly German - the Helles Lager. It was light, smooth and less hoppy than their Czech counterparts. So begins the final era of the pale lager.
This type of cultural evolution excites me. It shares similarities to the IPA revolution we’re experiencing in America today. But also America is going to do what America does best. We took one of the best beers and commoditized it to the masses. Introduce Miller Lite. A mass produced, cheap, not-very-good-at-all pilsner. The blue collar brew is really a bummer, but what are you gonna do? Americans love cheap beer.