The story
Spiced wheat beers were brewed in the Flemish-speaking region of Belgium for centuries, long before hops became the standard seasoning for beer. The village of Hoegaarden, east of Brussels, was once home to dozens of breweries making “white” beer, named for its pale, cloudy appearance. But industrial lagers crushed the style in the twentieth century, and the last witbier brewery in Hoegaarden closed in 1957.
The revival began with a milkman named Pierre Celis. Having worked at that last brewery as a young man, he started brewing witbier in his hayloft in 1966. His beer, eventually named Hoegaarden after the village, became a phenomenon. Today witbier is brewed all over the world.
What it tastes like
Witbier pours a pale, milky, hazy straw colour with a dense white head. The aroma is bright and aromatic: orange peel, coriander, sometimes a hint of pepper or honey. On the palate it is light and creamy thanks to wheat and oats, with a gentle tartness and very low bitterness. The finish is dry and refreshing, with lingering citrus and spice. It is a sunny beer, perfect on a warm afternoon.
How it’s made
The grist traditionally includes a large proportion of unmalted wheat, pale barley malt, and sometimes oats, which contribute the hazy appearance and creamy texture. Brewers add dried orange peel — often the peel of bitter Curaçao oranges — and ground coriander seed near the end of the boil. Hops are used sparingly. A fruity, slightly spicy Belgian ale yeast ferments the beer, and it is served unfiltered.
Fun fact
After a fire damaged his brewery in the 1980s, Pierre Celis accepted investment from a large brewer that eventually took control of Hoegaarden. Celis later moved to Texas and in 1992 opened the Celis Brewery in Austin, bringing Belgian white beer to a whole new audience.