You’d have a hard time arguing that there’s a better spring beer than the iconic wheat beer. Sure, there’s points to be made for the refreshing and malty lager, or the hoppy and fresh IPA. But these beers pale in comparison to the true hero of spring: the wheat beer.
Why is the wheat beer perfectly suited for spring drinking? Well, this top-fermented ale is made with a much larger percentage of wheat (around 40-60%) than other barley-centric beers. This creates a flavor profile well-suited for spring and summer drinking. There are numerous types of wheat beers, including the German hefeweizen, Belgian witbier, and American wheat ale. Overall, the style is known for its flavors of bananas, cloves, and spices—specifically in German and Belgian wheat beers. These brews often have a hazy, unfiltered appearance.
Typically lighter, sweeter, less bitter and hoppy than other spring beers, the wheat beer is a refreshing thirst-quencher for the cold rainy days and sunny hot days alike. Now that you’ve learned a little bit about the prowess of the wheat beer, it’s time to find some to add to your refrigerator this spring. Below, you’ll find some of the best, can’t-miss spring wheat beers.
Photo via Paulaner
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen is as classic as German wheat beers come. The top-selling wheat beer in Germany, it’s made with light wheat malt, dark wheat malt, Pilsner malt, Munich malt, yeast, and water. It gets its hop element from the use of Herkules hops. The result is a complex, balanced, crushable beer filled with flavors like ripe bananas, tropical fruits, cloves, and sweet wheat. It’s hazy, unfiltered, and always there on a hot spring day.
Photo via Allagash Brewing Company
Allagash White
First brewed in 1995, this award-winning Belgian-style wheat beer is brewed with oats, malted wheat, and raw wheat. It gets its unique, memorable flavor from the addition of coriander and Curaçao orange peel. The result is a beer perfect for spring (and any other season) that’s centered on flavors like citrus peels, clove, wheat, and a nice kick of hops at the finish. This is one of the most popular spring and summer beers for good reason. It’s balanced, memorable, and available almost everywhere beer is sold.
Photo via Brewery Ommegang
Ommegang Witte
Although it’s located just outside of Cooperstown, New York, stepping foot onto the Brewery Ommegang property makes you feel like you’ve been transported to rural Belgium. Opened in 1997, this farm brewery is known for its Belgian-style ales, and one of its best is Ommegang Witte. This witbier is brewed with malted and unmalted wheat, flaked oats, sweet orange peel, and coriander. It’s hopped with Hallertau Spalter Select hops. The result is a refreshing, hazy wheat beer filled with flavors like citrus, clove, wheat, and floral hops.
Photo via Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
Weihenstephaner is the oldest continuously operating brewery in the world, founded all the way back in 1040. One of its best beers is Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier. This popular German beer is made with wheat malt, barley malt, yeast, water, and hops from Hallertau. It’s known for its cloudy appearance and creamy mouthfeel featuring notes of ripe bananas, cloves, bubblegum, malts, and floral hops. This is the type of beer other brands hope to emulate.
Photo via Bell's Brewery
Bell’s Oberon
Every spring, wheat beer fans eagerly await the release of Bell’s Oberon. The Michigan-based brewery even holds a holiday to introduce it each year. Brewed with wheat, water, hops, and the brand’s signature house ale yeast, it’s the kind of beer you’ll drink from spring through summer, since it’s available from March through September. This award-winning, 5.8% ABV wheat beer is known for aflavor profile featuring wheat, citrus peels, yeast, and gentle spices.
Photo via St. Bernardus
St. Bernardus Wit
There aren’t many wheat beers more beloved than St. Bernardus Wit. This traditional, unfiltered Belgian witbier was created in the 1960s in collaboration with renowned master brewer Pierre Celis. It’s known for its simple ingredients: just water, barley malt, sugar, hops, and yeast. Drinking it reveals notes of candied orange peels, coriander, cloves, wheat malt, and just a hint of memorable acidity. If you only try one Belgian wheat beer this spring, make it this one.
Photo via Cape May Brewery
Cape May White
This 5.2% ABV Belgian-style wheat beer gets its flavor from being brewing with orange and lemon peels, coriander, grains of paradise, and the brand’s proprietary Belgian witbier yeast. This creates a classic, easy-drinking wheat beer with flavors like banana, clove, gentle spices, and sweet wheat. The finish is clean, tart, and ends with some fruit ester flavor.
