Berliner Weisse, only available in the summer, is a delicious thirst-quencher. Among wheat beers, it is in a class of its own. Napoleon fell in love with this beverage when he conquered Europe during the first part of the 19th century and is said to have referred to it as the Champagne of the North.”
This refreshingly tangy beverage is light, carbonated and has a low alcohol content. Its unique sour taste results from fermenting with a combination of yeast and lactobacillus bacteria. That’s right, these are the same”friendly” bacteria that live in our digestive, urinary, and genital systems and are found in yoghurt. And as we already know, lactobacillus bacteria are extremely healthful and good for the digestion.
Origin of Berliner Weisse
The exact origin of Berliner Weisse is unknown. Most likely, this delicious light wheat beer does come to us from Berlin, Germany, as the name suggests. And quite possibly, its production goes back to the Huguenots. These French Protestants – largely Calvinists – suffered severe persecution at the hands of the Catholic majority in France and Switzerland during the 16thand 17thcenturies. Thousands of them emigrated from their homelands, and many resettled in the Brandenburg area of Germany.
Where Weisse is Produced Today
Only two breweries in Germany still produce Berliner Weisse: Schultheiss Brauerei GmbH and Berliner Kindl Brauerei AG. The brewers at Berliner Kindl have developed a method, which omits bottle fermentation and allows the beer to mature in pressurized tanks.
Berliner Kindl logo in Berlin, Germany. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2019. www.walled-in-berlin.com
These days, Berliner Weisse (sometimes called “Berlin White” in the United States) is also produced by a number of U.S. breweries.
Difference between Pale Ale and Berliner Weisse
American pale ales are predominantly top-fermented (warm fermented) and made with pale malt. https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/Vvte2fIth4/ The result is a strong hoppy flavor with a slightly bitter taste and an alcohol content by volume of anywhere between 4.5% and 9%. Berliner Weisse, on the other hand, is typically light in flavor, low in hops and tastes slightly yeasty. It is made with wheat malt as well as barley malt, and its alcohol content rarely exceeds 4%.
Berliner Weisse mit Schuss
In Berlin, it is common to drink Berliner Weisse mit Schuss (Weisse with a shot). The shot typically consists of a splash of raspberry or woodruff syrup. Woodruff is a small medicinal plant that grows in the woods and has a vanilla-like flavor. It is not well known in the United States. A classic Berliner Weisse is enjoyed from a special glass and sipped with a straw. If you can’t decide on the flavor, just order an Ampel (a traffic light), and the waiter will bring three small glasses of Weisse: One is filled with plain Weisse, one with Weisse with raspberry syrup, and a third one with Weisse with woodruff syrup.
Berliner Weisse mit Schuss (one with raspberry one with woodruff flavor) www.walled-in-berlin.com
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Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
