Know Your Beer - Hefeweizen & Wheat Beer

Know Your Beer will be a new feature on From the Beer Fridge. There are a ton of different types of beer and not everyone is exquisitely knowledgable about what they are, what to expect, etc... So, every week, we'll feature a different type of beer and make this a bit of an educational moment.


We'll start of with the Hefeweizen, a beer most often recognized for its cloudy unfiltered appearance. The name comes from German - "hefe" translating to yeast and "weizen" translating to wheat. So, these beers have a high concentrate of wheat in them (if you're allergic - be aware!). Hefeweizens use at least a 50:50 mix of wheat and malt, with some breweries going as high as 70% wheat.

The flavor tends to be on the sweet and fruity side, with a bit of clove, banana and vanilla. Lots of aroma, so get a nice whiff of the beer before you start slugging it down. These beers are very refreshing, especially when it's hot, so you're likely to see them a whole bunch during the summer months. Most Hefeweizen/wheat beers tend to be on the mid to high 5% range in terms of alcohol content.

Americans have popularized tossing in a lemon or orange wedge into the beer to add some more citrus flavor into it. Some folks like this, others don't, as the citrus changes the flavor of the beer. So, if the brewer wanted the beer to have citrus in it, they would have added into the mix from the get go. Don't even think about asking for this treatment in any true German establishment, as you'll probably get das boot in your face. As my Beer Buddy Larry has informed me, the lemon messed up the "schaum" (head) of the beer. In fact, the beer should take about 7 minutes from pour to your table, in order for the head to settle properly. You can expect to see these beers served in a tall weizen glass to best release the flavors and scents and let you experience them.

We've taken a look at some of these type of beers before on From The Beer Fridge, including: the Four Peaks Brewing Hefeweizen, Carver's Raspberry Wheat Beer, Breckenridge Brewing Agave Wheat, Santa Fe Brewing Hefeweizen, and the Prescott Brewing Alpine Wheat.

Other suggestions that haven't been reviewed yet, but are quality beers include: the Flying Dog In Heat Wheat, Paulaner Hefeweizen, Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen, Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen and Gordon Bierish Hefeweizen (which goes really well in OJ).

Beer Fridge on the Road - Four Peaks Brewing Company

Phoenix/Scottsdale is one of my favorite places to visit. Warm when you want it to be; if you go in the summer, it's quiet; and it's CLOSE - a fast 6-7 hr drive and you're there. Near the 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright, there is a bunch of great places to check out, including Four Peaks Brewing Company. This place has a real chill vibe to it, with an outdoor, shaded patio (so, yes, you could go out there and not roast) and a large upper loft if you've got a bigger group.

This place caught my eye and always wanted to check it out and when I finally did, I was very pleasantly surprised. Great food (try the BBQ chicken pizza...very tasty) and the beer also very good, and of course, that's what you're here for.


First up is the RAJ IPA. Given my recent experiences with IPAs, including the Odell IPA and Marble Brewing IPA, I have high expectations. Unfortunately, when you have high expectations, you tend to be disappointed and that's what happened here. For an IPA, there just wasn't that hoppy taste that I come to expect and enjoy. The brew had crisp taste when it hit your lips, then a medium bitter aftertaste, but not one that was terribly enjoyable. The high alcohol content (6.9% ABV) did not save this beer, which will not get a repeat performance.


The 8th Street Pale Ale was a great way to follow up the RAJ IPA, mostly because I actually liked it. This beer had a bit of a tangy taste with absolutely no aftertaste and just a hint of hops. This beer had more a red color, making me think of an amber beer rather than the typical IPA color. The lower alcohol content (4.7% ABV) and accommodating taste makes this a great beer for people who tend to lean to lighter beers and want to venture into different types of beer without going "too out there."


The Hefeweizen is a Bavarian type, so lemon is verboten!! I didn't get a lot of the banana taste that seems to be common in the Bavarian beers, but the flavor I did get was very refreshing and light. And like most Bavarian Hefeweizens, the fruity taste is subdued - it's there, but not in your face like American Hefeweizens. Just a hint of aftertaste, making for a very refreshing and tasty beer.



But my favorite of the Four Peaks offerings is the Kiltlifter Scottish-Style Ale. This brew has gusto, but not so much that you feel like you got punched in the face (a la the Arrogant Bastard Pale Ale). You can really get the malt taste and with 6% ABV, it's got a little kick to it. For being a more robust ale, it's got a really smooth taste and no overwhelming aftertaste that sits with you. I usually get a growler of this bad boy if I'm in Phoenix for a few days, so obviously, I recommend this beer.



Four Peaks Brewing Company has the brewpub in Scottsdale, with the actual brewery in Tempe. So, go to either of those places if you want it fresh from the source or a growler to go. Some of the beers (including the Kiltlifter) are available in bottles at a lot of Phoenix grocery stores, so you can grab it there too.

Beer Fridge on the Road - Prescott Brewing Company

Last weekend, I had a great trip out to Phoenix, AZ and got to take a detour to scenic Prescott. This quaint little town is about 2 hours from (and 20 degrees cooler than) Phoenix/Scottsdale. While my wife and mother-in-law explored the thirft stores for hidden bargins, I took a tour of the town square, which was surprising stock full of bars. I think one block alone had 5 bars.

The first stop in the square was Prescott Brewing Company, a great microbrewery located in one of those mall-like areas where there are a bunch of stores branching off a central hall. The brewery itself is covered in coasters from all over the world and antique beer plates. Very chill environment and definitely would be a place I'd frequent if I happened to live in Prescott.

Our server, a very Irish-American gent by the name of Bryant, started me off with the Belgian Tripel and a warning of the beer's 10% ABV. While a lot of highly alcoholic beers have a bit of a kick to them, this one was extremely smooth. It had a light champagne taste with a texture similar to Boddington's (without the nitrous). There was a hint of sweetness to it, but nothing overpowering. The beer taste sticks with a mild, honey-like aftertaste. There is definitely a buzz-worthy factor to this beer, as I was feeling very nice after finishing it.

Bryant's next recommendation was the Alpine Wheat. This traditional Bavarian wheat beer reminded me a lot of the Hofbrauhaus (except not in the massive mug that Hofbrauhaus would provide). In tradition with the German method of drinking this beer, there would be no lemon! It definitely didn't need it though, as the beer had just the right taste without the extra citrus. There is a bit of a banana taste to it, but it's not overwhelming. Very crisp taste and extremely refreshing, but not a beer I'd be drinking after working in the yard. Would definitely enjoy this beer again!

Next, we'll visit Murphy's and check out the Professional Beer Drinker's Club.

Santa Fe Brewing Hefeweizen

I love Hefeweizens - if I were to pick one type of beer and that's the only beer I would drink for the rest of my life, I'd pick a Hefeweizen. So, with that said, I have tried a lot and have high hopes when I try one I haven't had before. Quarters Guy suggested Santa Fe Brewing Company's Hefeweizen when he recommended the Odells IPA. I was happy that I was not steered wrong on this one, as it's a good Hefeweizen.

Without the traditional lemon, the beer has good flavor. No taste of hops or really any bitterness. There is that hint of sweetness, but that almost is eliminated by the addition of the lemon, which replaces sweet with lemony goodness. In fact, once the lemon is floating around in the beer, there is a really clean freshness to the brew as a whole. I'd wager it's got to do with acidity of the lemon juice, but it's a nice taste.

I did a little research on this, as I got to thinking about the lemon. Apparently, this is an American "thing" and the Krauts in Germany typically frown upon the lemon. Thinking back when I've made some ill-fated trips to the Hoffrauhaus in Lost Wages, Nevada, I can't recall (much) seeing any lemons in the place. That beer definitely didn't need any of the citrus acidity.

Lemon or not, the Santa Fe Brewing Hefeweizen is a good overall Hefeweizen. The price is pretty fair, running about $7.00/six pack at Quarters, and it's local, so you're supporting the guy up I-25. This isn't my favorite Hefeweizen by far, but it'll do in a pinch.

If you're a fan of the Hefeweizen or other wheat beers, I would highly recommend the following:

Flying Dog In Heat Wheat - http://www.flyingdogales.com/

Marble Brewing Company Wildflower Wheat - http://marblebrewery.com/

You can find the Santa Fe Brewing Hefeweizen in a whole bunch of places, including Quarters, Smith's, Albertsons and Kelly's Liquors. If you want to go staight to the source, Santa Fe Brewing is located just off I-25, south of Santa Fe (right near those outlet malls in what used to be Wolf Canyon).