Beer Styles

What is a witbier? It's a pale, hazy wheat beer with coriander and orange peel. According to the BJCP style guidelines, it has an original gravity of 11 to 12.9 degrees Plato, 4.5 to 5.5 percent alcohol, and just 8 to 20 IBU. The English term "white beer" means the same as "wit" in Flanders and "blanche" in Wallonia.

How does witbier differ from German wheat beer? Both are top-fermented, but German wheat beer requires at least half wheat malt and relies on banana and clove notes from the yeast. Witbier uses raw wheat and leans on orange, coriander, and a fresh finish. It's paler, lighter, and less fruity-heavy.

The big Leuven lagers also belong to this region. Stella Artois is a golden, bottom-fermented beer in the Pilsner style, sold worldwide. It represents the city's industrial side and stands as the counterpart to the handcrafted witbier from the neighboring town. The difference lies in the malt and yeast: Stella needs pure barley malt, bottom-fermenting yeast, and a long, cool maturation, while witbier calls for raw wheat and top-fermenting yeast.

Between these two worlds lies the question of revival. Hoegaarden shows how a nearly extinct style can return through the dedication of a single brewer. Whether you see the result today as craft tradition or corporate product depends on who you ask. Taste both beers, though, and you'll quickly understand why Leuven and Hoegaarden belong together, despite tasting so different.