Beer Styles

What is Weißbier, and how does it differ from Hefeweizen? Not at all, really: in Bavaria it's called Weißbier, elsewhere Weizen, and Hefeweizen refers to the cloudy, yeast-containing version. It consists largely of wheat malt, is top-fermented, and has, according to competition guidelines, roughly 4.3 to 5.6 percent alcohol. Its color ranges from pale yellow to rich amber when brewed as a dark wheat beer.

The Rieser Weizenbier ranks among the best-known Swabian examples. Before its closure in 2016, the Ankerbrauerei in Nördlingen offered it as Hefeweizen in light and dark versions, as Kristallweizen, and as a light Weizen. The brands have since been run by Fürst Wallerstein Brauhaus. The name carries no EU protection; it is simply a regional designation.

What's the difference between Weizenbier and Helles? With Weizenbier, the yeast takes center stage: it smells of banana, has a creamy foam, and barely any bitterness. Helles, by contrast, is a clear, bottom-fermented lager made from barley malt — mild, round, and easy to drink. Both have similar alcohol content but taste quite different.

The Weizenbock holds a special place. According to beer websites, Riegele brews a top-fermented Weizenbock called “Augustus.” A Weizenbock is stronger than a regular Weißbier and, per competition guidelines, needs an original gravity of at least about 15.7 degrees Plato. Plato is the unit of measurement for the dissolved sugar in the wort, from which alcohol is later produced.

What the Augsburg area lacks is a single defining style, unlike Cologne or Bamberg. Beer here thrives on coexistence: the Helles from the city breweries alongside the Weizen from the countryside. Add to that seasonal beers like Bock and Festbier, common throughout Bavaria. It's precisely this mix that makes the region interesting for the curious.