Top 10 Hefeweizens Brewed in North America
This Top Ten Hefeweizens list is from the U.S. Open Beer Championship, Great American Beer Festival, and World Beer Cup. The top ten Hefeweizens have the aroma and flavor of a weissbier with yeast that is decidedly fruity and phenolic. The phenolic characteristics are often described as clove- or nutmeg-like and can be smoky or even vanilla-like. Banana-like esters are often present. These beers are made with at least 50 percent malted wheat, and hop rates are quite low. Hop flavor and aroma are absent. Weissbier is well attenuated and very highly carbonated, yet its relatively high starting gravity and alcohol content make it a medium- to full-bodied beer. The color is very pale to pale amber. Because yeast is present, the beer will have yeast flavor and a characteristically fuller mouthfeel, and may be appropriately very cloudy. ABV: 4.90% – 5.60%. IBU: 10-15.
1. Weisstheimer – 8th Wonder Brewery – Texas
2. Hefeweizen – Gordon Biersch Brewery – Colorado
3. Hula Mastah – Arkane Aleworks – Florida
4. Big Horn Hefeweizen – RAM/Big Horn Brewery – Washington
5. HefeWeizen – Live Oak Brewing – Texas
6. Shotgun Betty – Lonerider Brewing – North Carolina
7. Drunk Monk Hefeweizen – Floyds Brewing – Indiana
8. Hornet’s Nest – The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery – North Carolina
9. Brooklyner Weisse – Brooklyn Brewery – New York
10. Royal Weisse – Sly Fox Brewing – Pennsylvania
History of Hefeweizen in USA
Hefeweizen, a traditional Bavarian wheat beer known for its cloudy appearance and distinctive banana and clove flavors, first gained traction in the United States during the craft beer revolution of the late 20th century. While German immigrants had brewed various beer styles in the U.S. since the 19th century, Hefeweizen was largely overshadowed by lagers until the 1980s. The resurgence of craft brewing, sparked by pioneers like Anchor Brewing and Sierra Nevada, opened the door for more diverse styles. In 1986, Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Oregon, introduced one of the earliest American Hefeweizens, a hazy, unfiltered wheat beer that diverged from its German counterparts by using a neutral yeast strain, resulting in a cleaner flavor profile. This adaptation made it more approachable to American palates unfamiliar with the bold phenolic and ester-driven characteristics of traditional Bavarian Hefeweizens, helping to popularize the style.
As the craft beer movement grew through the 1990s and 2000s, American breweries began experimenting with both traditional and innovative takes on Hefeweizen. Breweries like Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) and New Glarus Brewing in Wisconsin embraced the classic Bavarian yeast strains, producing beers with the signature banana, clove, and bubblegum notes. Meanwhile, others, like Bell’s Brewery with its Oberon Ale, crafted wheat beers inspired by Hefeweizen but tailored to regional tastes, often incorporating local ingredients or tweaking fermentation to emphasize citrus or spice. The style’s versatility and refreshing nature made it a staple in the expanding craft beer market, particularly as summer seasonals. By the 2010s, Hefeweizen had cemented its place in the U.S., with countless breweries offering their own interpretations, ranging from faithful recreations of German originals to distinctly American twists that reflected the creativity of the craft beer scene.
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