Widmer Hefeweizen is a classic. It was first brewed in 1986 but wasn't bottled for another ten years. Keeping the yeast in suspension took some ingenuity. Widmer Hefeweizen may have a German name, but don't go comparing it to German wheat beers. Widmer Hefeweizen was part of a new kind of American wheat ale.
The Widmer brothers created their Hefeweizen by simply kegging their Weizenbier unfiltered. It was their third beer and despite it's cloudy appearance, Hefeweizen took off. The beer lacks the classic banana flavored esters produced by Bavarian yeast, but it makes up for it with a slightly lemony flavor. That citrus burst is what lead to the lemon wedge garnish you'll find in every wheat beer in town.
The musty wheatiness is what I really like in this beer. That dusty, earthy quality really spoke to me as a young beer drinker. It tasted real. That rustic, cloudy look helped Widmer Hefeweizen take off. Compared to crystal-clear corporate beer, Hefeweizen stood out as handmade and pure. All the good stuff was left in the bottle. You can see it.
At one point wheat ales were so popular that Anhueser-Busch attempted to jump on the band wagon. Bud Light Golden Wheat was introduced in the late aughts with giant billboards in Portland. I was still in high school but even I new it was a cynical attempt at attracting cool kids. It didn't work out and the company killed the brand two years ago. Apparently, Golden Wheat was "more serious and much more of a craft beer" than most Bud Light brands. It was replaced by Bud Light Lime, more in keeping with the brand identity, watered down and flavored with fruit juice.
As Widmer continues to expand their brand, it's nice to see they still respect their humble beginnings with a simple beer that helped created a new category. As spring rolls into summer you'll see the wheat beers coming out coast to coast. Some with be more "authentic," some will be more experimental, but Widmer Hefeweizen will still stand out as one of the originals.
