If Irish drinks make you think of gray skies and winter winds, you might find yourself searching for a beer that is perfectly suited to outdoor barbecues and get-togethers. Allow me to spare you the trouble of searching and introduce you to Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier.
Weihenstephaner is widely regarded as one of the best representatives of the Hefe Weizen style (translated literally as "yeast wheat") of beer. Brauerei Weihenstephan lays claim to being the oldest brewery in the world, and it brews Hefe Weizen year-round. Malted wheat makes up half the brew in this style of beer, complementing the malted barley, the backbone of all craft beer.
The appearance of this beer is orange and cloudy with a tremendous, fluffy white head, a good sign of a well-brewed beer. The word "hefe" in the name lets you know that the excess yeast in this beer is unfiltered, which encourages the cloudiness and interesting color.
Taking a big sniff from the top of the glass with my nose planted as deeply as possible, the aroma of banana and clove abounds.
At first taste, I get the impression that bananas were involved somewhere in the brewing process. But in truth, the banana undertones are a result of the type of yeast used for fermentation.
As for mouthfeel, the light-to-medium body and carbonation complement each other nicely.
This leaves us with drinkability. I'll just say that having only one of these at a barbecue on a beautiful spring day would require some will power. It goes down smoothly and isn't particularly heavy.
It seems to be a common practice to add a lemon slice to this ale. Well, to each his own, but beware that the oils from citrus fruit demolish your beer's head. And the head is what helps to release flavor and smell. So it is up to you to decide if the hint of lemon (or other fruit of your choice) is worth losing a key component of your brew.
As for availability, I've found Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier at McDade's in Maywood Mart. If you try it and really dig it, it never hurts to ask your other favorite establishments to carry it.
A typographic error has been corrected from the print version.
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