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Berliner Weisse
A pale, tart, low-alcohol German wheat beer, sharp and refreshing, traditionally served with a shot of syrup.
About the Berliner Weisse style
The Berliner Weisse was once the most popular beer of Berlin, a pale, sharply sour, low-alcohol wheat beer that Napoleon's troops reportedly nicknamed the Champagne of the North.
It is traditionally served with a shot of raspberry or woodruff syrup to soften its bracing tartness. The modern craft revival often serves it unsweetened, or brewed with fruit.
Grain, hops and yeast
Malt and grain: Pale barley malt with a large proportion of wheat malt for a light, soft body.
Hop character: Very low; the character is tartness, not hops.
Yeast and fermentation: A clean ale yeast working with Lactobacillus for a clean, sharp lactic sourness.
A typical Berliner Weisse runs 2.8 to 3.8% alcohol by volume, with a bitterness of about 3 to 8 IBU and a colour of 2 to 3 SRM. It is traditionally served in a bowl or wide goblet. These figures describe the usual range for the style; a given example may sit a little outside them.
Serving and carbonation
Serve a Berliner Weisse cold, around 3 to 5 degrees Celsius, in a wide bowl glass, often with a shot of raspberry or woodruff syrup in the traditional Berlin way. Its low alcohol and sharp tartness make it a very refreshing, sessionable pour.
Fermentation in brief
The style is soured with Lactobacillus for a clean, sharp lactic tartness, then fermented out with a clean ale yeast; some traditional versions add Brettanomyces for complexity. Control the souring and keep the beer low in gravity for the light, bracing character.
Classic examples
Well-known commercial examples of the style include Berliner Kindl Weisse, The Bruery Hottenroth and Bayerischer Bahnhof Berliner Style Weisse. Tasting a benchmark example is the best way to understand what a style should be before brewing your own.
| Vital statistic | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Origin | Germany (Berlin) |
| Strength (ABV) | 2.8 to 3.8% |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 3 to 8 |
| Colour (SRM) | 2 to 3 |
| Traditional glass | Bowl or wide goblet |
Typical published ranges. Individual examples vary.
Set up your Berliner Weisse on tap
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Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines