Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission.
The Best American Wheat Beers
If you associate wheat beer with Blue Moon and a slice of orange, this is your primer to the world of American brewers doing something more with their wheat malt. They’re adding aromatic hops.
By
Matthew Ankeny
Matthew Ankeny
Like an accelerated kid dropped into remedial math, American wheat beer’s potential has been squandered. It lives in the shadow of its German forebears. It warms the bench as IPAs enjoy the spotlight. It’s been wrongfully ignored, and it’s high time to unlock it’s hazy powers and experience the full flavor of one of American craft brewing’s finer liquids.
If you associate wheat beer with Blue Moon and a slice of orange, this is your primer to the world of American brewers doing something more with their wheat malt. They’re adding aromatic hops. They’re open fermenting. They’re cultivating a beer that’s front-palate friendly with a full finish. So throw out the notion that the wheat beer’s just another low-ABV, soft beer to pass by on the way to another tap. The wheat beer offers a session pour that’s high on taste, low(er) on alcohol, and gives you the reward of long, slow liquid satisfaction, beer after golden beer.
Thinking globally and drinking locally is a good adage to adopt, and Brooklyn Brewery is helping support the practice. The Greenmarket Wheat’s only available in NYC, and 70 percent of the wheat and barley that goes into the brew is from New York state. It’s a local disposition, with global appeal.
Tasting Notes: All the traditional wheat beer flavors (honey, banana, clove) are here and performing at their ultimate potential. This was our pick for our favorite traditional wheat beer, and it’s worth the trip to NYC. (ABV: 5.5%)
Gumballhead’s the wunderkind of the wheat beer world, one part elusive, two parts worth the chase. The master brewers out in Munster, IN, have laced the American red wheat base with Amarillo Hops, so the beer takes on a mildly hoppy nature, giving a slightly bitter note to the smooth fruit-strong flavors.
Tasting Notes: The beer’s delicious. But it doesn’t taste much like a wheat beer. There’s honey sweetness and the lemon zest (especially on the end), but the wheatiness only operates to create a roundness to the flavors, rather than being a major presence. It’s a Grade-A beer, but not distinguishable as a traditional wheat brew. (ABV: 5.6%)
Bavaria, Germany and Chico, CA are a long way apart, but a stubborn belief in brewing “the right way” unites the two. Sierra Nevada takes the traditional Bavarian approach to brewing wheat beer, flipping the lid off the fermenters and letting the liquid breathe free. The result is a cloudy brew that’s a perfect pair, unsurprisingly, for bratwurst and wieners.
Tasting Notes: For a beer that’s widely available, it’s surprisingly complex and satisfying. The banana flavor is rich but not overpowering, and the mouthfeel is balanced (weighty, but also not too heavy). As an affordable, everyday wheat beer, you won’t find a better flavor. (ABV: 4.8%)
We’ve spoken of the great Oberon before. The now-canned wheat ale is the bread-and-butter of Kalamazoo, MI, and it’s refreshing, delicious, and difficult to stop drinking. It uses Bell’s house yeast to chow down on the delicate balance of hops and wheat. It’s fruity, smooth, and outright intoxicating (and that’s just the sensory side).
Tasting Notes: The most distinctly American tasting wheat beer, in that it has a distinctive fruit flavor (we got some pineapple flavor) and a touch of hops. It doesn’t taste like a traditional Bavarian, but it’s still wheat beer through and through. (ABV: 5.8%)
Like most powerhouse unions, the Hoppy Wheat takes two strong families (hops + wheat) and brings them together for impressive fruition. The beer sports an IPA funk for the nostrils, while retaining the bright, refreshing lightness of a wheat beer.
Tasting Notes: Hoppy on the nose and, at first taste, lands like an IPA. But as the flavor settles on the palate, the wheat elements come through. It’s like a thicker, muted hop beer. IPA fans will agree with my scribbled tasting note: “I could drink multiples of these.” (ABV 5.5%)
Round out your fermentation fest with a few “little bros” to the big boys up top. These are the less renowned, yet equally enticing brews of the wheat world: Bell’s Oarsman Ale: a session beer through and through, the Oarsman focuses on a strong batch of wheat, and tosses in a few citrusy hops for a tinge of tart. ABV: 4.0% Golden Road Hefeweizen: not your middle-of-the-road hefe. The brewers from LA cultivate a tart citrus flavor and a dry finish to give a golden touch to the Bavarian-style beer. ABV: 4.6% Three Floyds Drunk Monk: a Bavarian-style hefeweizen made with traditional brewing techniques. A great throwback hefe. ABV: 5.5% Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat: an easy-drinking beer that plays nicely with dinner. Incredibly drinkable, excessively smooth. ABV: 4.4%
Ommegang Witte
Building off the Belgian wit-style ale, Ommengang’s Witte adds more than just a few letters to the name. They take both malted and unmalted wheat to cull a balance between a rich maltiness and a dry, crisp sweetness. And, if you’d like to do as the Belgians do, use the Witte in the kitchen for steaming seafood or whisking together a light sauce.
Tasting Notes: Of all the beers we tried, the Witte was the most citrusy and sweet. It was a touch dry, very smooth, and not overbearing. A true session beer to drink all day long. (ABV: 5.2%)
The Namaste’s all about good karma. After the Belgian brewery 3 Fonteinen lost a third of its production after a thermostat broke and ruined 100,000 bottles of lambic and gueuze beers, the good brewmasters out in Delaware decided to honor the witbier tradition with a brew of their own. It’s a full palate pleaser that washes strong over the tongue, but stays light with predominantly fruit flavors.
Tasting Notes: A complex union of flavors, with orange leading the charge. It washes over the mouth smoothly, with a good balance of wheat density and citrus tartness. (ABV: 4.8%)
The two brothers (Jim and Jason) of Two Brothers started their brewing off with the hefeweizen, aiming to make the German tradition more widespread in the states. They brought their cross-pond brewing know-how to smack in the middle of the US (Chicagoland), and since 1996, they’ve done good work to create a reputable name for the American version of the traditional German brew.
Tasting Notes: This is the big hitter hefeweizen. It’s full (almost syrupy) on the tongue, and sits heavy in the stomach. It’s an after dinner drink, and tastes something like drinking banana cream pie. If you want big banana flavor, this is the holy grain. (ABV: 4.9%)
If, on a slow autumn day, you tire of the landmark Lagunitas IPA, there’s a softer middle ground to quench your thirst. The L.S.S. offers a little sumpin’ extra for a wheat beer — higher gravity. The quick bounce of hoppy flavor goes a long way to add complexity. Still, it holds onto that perk of wheat beers the world over: you can drink it from sunset (or sunrise) long into the night.
Tasting Notes: It hits first with hops, then balances with fruitiness. Peaches come through and some spice, but the initial register on the palate is that hops are on the scene. If you fancy the IPA, this is a nice foray into the wheat world. (ABV: 7.5%)
As the hefeweizen picked up momentum out West, the brewers at Harpoon saw that the East lagged a little in producing the hazy German beer. So they started producing a cloudy concoction of their own. The UFO hits full in the mouth like any self-respecting wheat, but finishes with a crisp citrus flavor to cleanse the palate, readying you for the next sip.
Tasting Notes: A clear, crisp wheat beer. Very drinkable, and the flavors come through with a tart fruitiness, rather than the butteriness of banana. It’s refreshing and light, and makes for a great session beer. (ABV: 4.8%)
This is one of our picks for the best reading chairs you can buy thanks to its exceptional mid-century design and comfort. It's a chair you can sink into.
The Nike Blazer is a sneaker icon. Pare it back and make it a low top and it has instantly become the best shoe you can wear this spring and summer. It will go with anything and is durable for daily wear.
These Bose headphones are some of Gear Patrol's favorite noise-cancelling headphones of the past year, owing to excellent design and top-notch sound quality. Don't like this color? The black and white colorways are both on sale for $330.
Otterbox's Venture cooler features integrated injection-molding and high-grade cooling technologies, anti-slip rubber feet and interior separators for wet and dry goods. Don't sleep on this, cookouts are coming.
A set of Adirondack chairs is a timeless pairing for any backyard, patio or balcony. These are made from faux wood, giving them exceptional durability and weather-resistance.
If you want a mask with more protection and versatility than a simple cloth mask, check out this one from Outdoor Research. It has adjustable straps to keep your fit dialed and comes with three replaceable filters that block out 95 percent of particles.
These runners from New Balance look great and crush on light trails. Made from New Balance's Fresh Foam, they are supremely comfortable and durable enough to take a beating.
This is an outrageous deal on an excellent Bluetooth speaker. It features eight hours of battery life, has integrated Siri and Google Now and looks good in any room, to boot.
Here you go, the perfect boot for spring. Todd Snyder always brings it when it comes to collaborations and this is no exception; this silhouette comes straight from the Sebago archives.
These water- and sweat-proof earbuds are our pick for the best workout earbuds. They have 6-hour battery life and are MIL-STD 810G certified, which means they have passed repeated shock, vibrations, drop, and crush tests as well as extended exposure to tropical humidity, hurricane-force water and desert sandstorm conditions.
Patagonia's Black Hole Duffel is one of the best packs around, so whenever it is on sale, we jump at the chance to snag one, even if it is purple. The 40L iteration is a versatile size ready for a weekend getaway or an extended trip.
For three years running, we’ve awarded the top slot to Mountain Hardwear’s Super/DS StretchDown jacket, and right now, at arguably the best time to buy a jacket, it’s on sale for 40 percent off. If you don't like the orange, there are other colors on sale at a lesser discount, as well.
Aether makes some of the best technical wear in the biz. This waterproof jacket is packed with features, including a removable hood, numerous pockets, fully-taped seams and a powder skirt.
Flint and Tinder's bestselling jacket almost never goes on sale — usually only once a year, if you're lucky. Immensely warm and tough-as-nails, this is a heritage piece that you'll have forever. Now is the time to pick up this weather-resistant jacket for the cheapest price you'll ever see it.
Filson has been making some of the best gear to come out of the Pacific Northwest, and probably the whole country, for years. This tote is tough-as-hell and water-resistant — perfect for weekend trips to the farmers' market.
This is a perfect layer for spring. Just about everything NYC-based Todd Snyder makes is quality and damn good looking, but this definitely takes it up a notch. If you want to use it as a liner underneath a topcoat, it is an excellent choice, but it also pairs exceptionally well with a sweater or t-shirt.
Originally a tennis shoe in the 80s, the Killshot 2 has become one of Nike's most coveted kicks. After years of only being available through J.Crew, they are now available in multiple colorways directly from Nike. They sell out almost every time they go on sale, so act fast to get yourself a pair.
Spring is coming and we're thinking hard about our next trips out into the wilderness. When it comes to backpacking gear, a good sleeping pad is one of the more important pieces you can have in your pack, so it is best to opt for quality. This insulated pad keeps you warm and cozy when the ground gets cold.
Apple's premium AirPods have been hovering around $200 for a while now, which is a great deal. Competition is now fierce in this headphone category, but the quick pairing and native integration with Apple devices still makes the AirPods Pro tough to beat.
The Eco-Drive from Citizen is powered by light, so you never need a battery. This diver is highlighted by a date display at 4 o'clock, a luminous dial, and a dual-tone bezel.
When looking back on life and thinking hard about every travel mug and thermos you've seen, odds are high that most of them are made by Stanley. This classic brand has made some of the best insulated mugs for years, so picking one up is a no-brainer.
Staub's enameled cast iron is versatile, distributes heat evenly, and works with any heat source, including induction. This is one of our favorite pieces of cookware.
Huckberry and Timex threw it back to the 70s and 80s with this collaboration. Starting with a blank slate, the brands led with the iconic cola colorway, added a military-inspired dial and finished it off with a woven stainless steel bracelet and aluminum timing bezel.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
