Robin Shepard
Berliner Geist is Vintage Brewing's first attempt at a Berliner Weisse beer.
With its bubby effervescence and tartness, the centuries-old Berliner Weisse style is making a comeback. Interest in this seldom-brewed (in the United States, anyway) style is back due to the overall rise in popularity of sour beers. Vintage Brewing Company just released its first attempt at one, and it lives up to Napoleon’s description of the style as the “Champagne of the North.”
What is it? Berliner Geist from Vintage Brewing Company.
Style: The Berliner Weisse is a light-bodied sour wheat beer that’s pale to straw-colored. The style is known for being highly carbonated with acidic sourness. It has very little hop bitterness or malty sweetness; rather a tart sourness stands out. It's a light beer, ranging from 2.8% to 3.4% ABV.
The name of the style, Berliner Weisse, is protected by German law, which states that a beer should only be called by that name if it is brewed in Berlin, just as a Kölsch must be brewed in Köln. At the height of its popularity during the late 19th century, Berliner Weisse was the most favored alcoholic drink in Berlin, and nearly 50 breweries were producing it. However, it fell by the wayside as pale lagers became the beers of choice worldwide. Currently in Berlin there are only about three makers.
Background: Vintage’s Scott Manning enjoys the challenge of developing unique beer flavors based on historical beer styles. His method of creating the Berliner Geist requires commitment and patience. His approach to souring the mash (grains and water) in the brew kettle required a 36-hour brew day. After initially cooking the grains, he stopped the brew kettle, added lactobacillus (bacteria similar to what’s used in making yogurt), then sealed the kettle air-tight because lactobacillus doesn’t like oxygen. He checked it every eight hours over the next day and a half while the bacteria did their job to make things sour. Then he reheated the brew kettle to kill the bacteria and completed the brewing using a more common ale yeast. “This was my first attempt at kettle souring, and while [it’s] a lot more work, it was fun,” says Manning.
Beers with sharp, tart flavors are especially welcome during summer, says Manning. His Berliner Geist should be available well into August. Manning has also held some of it back and is fermenting it with a saison strain of yeast to create a light sour farmhouse ale.
The beer is made with 25% wheat as part of the total grist. In a bow to tradition, it’s hopped with all German varieties, which include Polaris, Hallertau Mandarina and Huell Melon. The Mandarina is a new hop that lends a light tropical aroma that complements the beer’s sourness.
Manning named the beer “geist,” which means ghost in German, a nod to the spirit of Berlin. He traveled there while in college, where he was introduced. Berliner Kindl is generally considered the most well-known version in Germany.
Vintage Berliner Geist finishes at 4.7% ABV. The beer is available only at the west-side Vintage location, where it sells for $5 a glass and $14/growler (refill). It won “Best of Show” last month at the Wisconsin Beer Lovers Festival in Glendale.
Robin Shepard
Vintage brewmaster Scott Manning with his version of a Berliner Weisse; these sour beers are often accompanied with sweet syrups like Himbeer.
Tasting notes:
Aroma: A light wheat aroma, with a hint of sourness.
Appearance: Golden color with a slight haziness. The head is thick, soft and white, but it doesn’t last long.
Texture: Light, crisp, and bubbly.
Taste: A light sour body that’s sharp and tart without being over the top.
Finish/Aftertaste: There’s a light grainy-wheatiness; however, the sour-tartness is what stands out.
Glassware: In Germany, a Berliner Weisse would customarily be served in a special glass that resembles a short cup or bowl with a wide mouth. However, that's not a very common glass in most U.S. beer bars. Vintage serves the beer in a goblet-type snifter, which shows off the beer's bright golden color and white head. This is a beer to serve very cold to bring out more of the sharp sourness.
Pairs well with: The Berliner Weisse’s light body, bubbliness and tartness make it a great palate-cleanser. It’s also a nice beer with salads and buttery Gouda cheeses. When it’s served in Berlin, a Berliner Weisse will often come with a choice of Himbeer (raspberry/red) or Waldmeister (woodruff/green) syrups. These will soften the sourness. (On a trip to Germany two years ago I found Berliner Weisse at a pub that offered a choice of more than 10 flavored syrups that included strawberry, cherry, apple, peach, grapefruit and rhubarb.) At Vintage, the favorite seems to be Himbeer.
The Verdict: Berliner Geist holds up well to memories of Berliner Weisse beers sipped in Berlin. This one has a friendly, approachable sourness; it’s a refreshing sour beer that doesn’t lose its beer roots. It generally falls well within the Berliner Weisse tradition, although at 4.7% ABV it is a little strong for the true style — Manning suggests thinking of it as an “imperial” Berliner Weisse.
