Summer Hefeweizen Beer Challenge

We all know that the summers in Philadelphia can be hot and muggy, and a cool, refreshing beer can transform a bad day into a good one. So this summer I've accepted a friendly beer challenge from myself (I hope to find a few others to join me). The Hefeweizen Summer Challenge will help me survive the heat with its unfiltered, golden color and light citrus flavor.

This is a style of beer that I enjoy, but have not fully explored. So for the next 3 months I'm going to search far and wide for different varieties of Hefeweizens. The trouble for my amateur taste buds will be separating American Wheat Beers from Hefeweizens. Who am I kidding, if I can tell the difference in the spice flavor I'll be surprised. Please excuse my ramblings if I mix up my styles. If I was mistaken comment on the article and I'll stand corrected. For the mean time I will be using the following definitions:

Beer Advocate:
"A south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made with a typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. A yeast that produces a unique phenolic flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apples. Little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol. The "Hefe" prefix means "with yeast", hence the beers unfiltered and cloudy appearance. Poured into a traditional Weizen glass, the Hefeweizen can be one sexy looking beer.

Often served with a lemon wedge (popularized by Americans), to either cut the wheat or yeast edge, which many either find to be a flavorful snap ... or an insult and something that damages the beer's taste and head retention."



The first beer in the challenge is the Paulaner Hefe Weizen. This beer hails from Germany and my trip to the Foodery at 10th and Pine was well worth the trip. This standard barer is a good start with its balanced spicy taste, the crisp taste and the great head that formed when poured. I could see myself drinking this all summer, but there are many more to try.

Wedding Beers

Over a month ago I married the most wonderful woman in the world. We had a beautiful ceremony on the shore of Owasco Lake (in the Finger Lakes region of New York) and had a fun party for family and friends afterwards. One of the responsibilities I had for the wedding planning was selecting the beer for the bar. Tough job.

Fortunately the park we were married in did not require you to have a specific caterer, so we were free to pick whoever we wanted. For the beer the choice was clear, me. Being responsible for the bar was fairly easy. I had to apply for a NYS Liquor license, find a bartender and select the beer. Choosing the right beers was tough. There are family members who are not very adventurous with their tastes. So I had to make sure I was not forgetting them. Another factor limiting the number of choices so not to overwhelm the guests and to keep the beer tab down. What to pick, what to pick!

The final beer list included:
Labatt Blue
Labatt Blue Light
Ommegang Abbey Ale
Yards Love Stout
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
Allagash White

To my delight (and dismay) most of the beer was gone at the end of the night. I purchased 12 cases of beer and came home with 1.5 cases. Not bad, guess an open bar helps. We got many comments from our guests about the excellent variety of beers, instead of the usual Corona, Bud, Coors. At the end of the night it was a good feeling to have shared some of my favorites and for it to be appreciated.

The beer-wedding connection did not stop there. For the honeymoon the wife and I went to Montreal for a close to home getaway, but a million miles away feeling. During our stay I found two brewpubs (thanks to Beer Advocate) to visit. They were Le Cheval Blanc and Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel. The brewpubs offered were different atmospheres, but brewed great beer.

We first visited Le Cheval Blanc. Had a very strong hipster feel and décor, not to mention the crazy band that played and sang in French. I had no clue what they were talking about, but the stage presence was enough. Also ordering beer was tough because I did not what they different types were on tap, and I could not pronounce them. While we were there we sampled 3 of their beers: Le Cheval Blanc India Noire (an IPA that was dark), Le Cheval Blanc Érable (maple syrup sweetened beer), Le Cheval Blanc Ambrée (Amber Ale).

On our last night we took the subway from our bed and breakfast to Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel. When we got there the place was packed. There was an extensive beer menu on a chalk board on the wall (in French). With so many choices, and not knowing what they were, it took some time to order. But we settled on a few beers to cap our honeymoon. I had the Double Triple (a strong Belgian ale) and I can't remember what my wife ordered. If one of us remembers I'll post it.

I have to say that I was very impressed with the beers at both places. Can't wait to visit again and have more time to explore.
A votre sante