Friday Happy Hour: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier

Photo courtesy of
‘Weihenstephaner’
courtesy of ‘yto’

Welcome to the Friday Happy Hour, your single drink primer for the weekend.

I’ve been trying to come up with some sort of seasonal or circumstantial justification for recommending the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, but I really can’t.  The best thing I can think of is that you might die tomorrow and it would be a real shame if you went to your grave without trying this beer. The Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier is a wheat beer hailing from the Weihenstephan brewery of Bavaria (supposedly the oldest in the world). It’s consistently rated as the best hefewizen in the world and packs an enormous amount of complexity and flavor.  It bears notes of lemon and clove with strong overtones of banana from the acids produced by the particular style of yeast used during the fermentation process.  It’s sweet and refreshing, with a medium body and lingering finish.  Typically, you’d drink this style of beer during warmer weather, but it’s definitely worth having today.  You can find it at Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar on H St., or at Total Wine and More.

Kirk is a Maine-born, military brat who moved no fewer than 12 times during his childhood. He came to the DC area in 2004 for his undergrad and decided that it was the place for him. Since graduating, he’s nabbed a job with the Fed and spends most of his free time hunting for cheap thrills in the city. Find out why he loves DC.

5 thoughts on “Friday Happy Hour: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier”

  1. Weihenstephaner loses a lot in the four thousand mile trip here. If you can’t drink it in Germany, it’s probably better if you try something that travels better.

    Best hefeweizen? Franzikaner. Hands down.

  2. Really? I think that Weihenstephaner blows Franziskaner away, flavor wise. Typically, though, Franz is my go to hefe as it’s easy to find on tap.

  3. Weihenstephaner is on tap at Marx in Mt. Pleasant. I remember it being decent, then I got back from Germany and had one. I couldn’t believe it was the same beer. Of course I got pretty snooty about my hefes after Germany. Lose the citrus, please! A proper beer has sufficient flavor all on its own.

    I rate Franziskaner higher because it just seems to travel better. They’re equally delicious back in the vaterland.

  4. I might be biased because the Weihenstephaner I had in Germany was handed to me by a guy who grew up there and brought back a case or two every time he went home, but I think it’s superior to Franziskaner. Regardless it’s the wrong weather to be drinking Hefeweizen. I’d go for einen Doppelbock or an Altbier, or maybe a Märzen if I felt like getting the jump on things.

  5. Weihenstephaner is the bomb. It was served to William the Conqueror (totally made that up) but it has been brewed since like 1066.