Tasting

How do you properly pour a Weißbier? Tilt the glass, let the beer run down the side, and straighten it toward the end so the head can rise. Finally, swirl the yeast at the bottom of the bottle and pour it over the top.

The classic Weißbier glass is tall, slender, and wide at the top, a vase shape built to hold the dense head. In Bavaria it holds half a liter, while a Maßkrug in the festival tent holds a full liter. The word Maß in Bavaria refers specifically to that liter.

Serving temperature: cool, but not ice-cold, around 6 to 8 degrees Celsius. Too cold suppresses the banana notes, too warm makes it flabby.

Three beers from Erdinger Weißbräu serve as examples. The Weißbier mit feiner Hefe is the standard. The Urweiße comes in at 4.9 percent with a caramel note, tasting a touch sharper. The Dunkel shows just how much roasted malt a Weißbier can carry. A direct side-by-side tasting is the best way to see how robust each style really is.

When tasting, smell first, then take a sip with plenty of foam. Banana often leads, clove follows, and wheat lingers in the finish, maybe with a hint of lemon. For the curious, try the same beer pale, dark, and crystal-clear side by side.

Yeast plays a role when tapping from the cask too. The publican rinses the glass with cold water before pouring, which helps the foam cling better to the glass. That keeps the head creamy instead of collapsing.