Hefeweizen for all of you wheat ale fans out there

I haven't been on the blog since last week, yes I am a slacker, but the warm weather last weekend caused me to drink way too much and completely neglect this thing. Another thing the warm weather made me think of, which just so happens to be the subject of today's entry, are Hefeweizens, or wheat ales. I am personally not a huge fan of the style, but the 5 examples I am going to offer up are all very good.

First, a rundown of the look, smell and taste of a typical German Hefe beer. All of these things described below will be different, and better than the crappy American versions of this style. Remember, this is referring to the bad versions, like Pyramid, Widmer and especially that awful creation known as Bud Light Wheat!

German style Hefe beers

Look of the beer: "Hefe" means "with wheat", so you will typically see a beer that is very cloudy and unfiltered. Don't be afraid of the floaties at the bottom, it is just yeast and it is meant to be there.

Smell: The standard German wheat beer is going to have a much more pronounced aroma and flavor profile than the typical American version. Some of these smells will include: banana, cloves, wheat and yeast.

Taste: The tastes you will experience can definitely throw you off if you have never had a German Hefe and are used to the inferior American wheat beers. The yeast used in these beers is what gives them their characteristic flavors. These include: banana, cloves, some possible spiciness, citrus and in some cases bubblegum.

Too much information again. I am going to end another lengthy blog with 5 suggestions for German style Hefes that you can enjoy the next time it is warm out, or anytime for that matter. Hope you enjoy!

All of these should be available at either Cookes, Whole Foods or BevMo.
1. Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse
2. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
3. Paulner Hefe-Weissbier
4. Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. (The lone American version on the list. This stuff is really authentic and is available in 6 packs!)
5. Schneider Weisse

Beer 101, first addition

First things first, thanks to my sole follower and my buddy for the kind words yesterday after checking out the blog. An idea I had for this blog is to have posts that offer up helpful tips so you can further enjoy craft beer for all it has to offer. These are not rules, but rather practices I picked up from other craft beer drinkers, websites such as Beer Advocate and from my own experiences.

1. In order to know what styles of beer you may or may not like you should do a little homework. This isn't the type of homework you are all used to, at least in this case you are "studying" in order to drink better beer! Check out www.beeradvocate.com (the link is on the side of the page) and go to the beer styles section. There is TONS of information about dozens of styles of beer being brewed today.

2. After you read some descriptions of new styles or ones you already know you like, the fun begins, it is time to go get some beer! Pick a local bar or just run over to Cookes or Whole Foods, if you are local to the El Segundo area. If you are confused, don't shy away from asking the store's beer buyers. They are there to help. You can also shoot me a comment or question and I can do my best to offer suggestions for tasty brews.

3. The next tip is sort of a disgruntled rant as well, so bare with me. If you ever find yourself at a bar, at home, at a friends house, etc. and you do not get a glass with your fine brew, stop and ask for one. Always, when possible, drink beer out of a glass. Drinking from a bottle severely limits your ability to enjoy the look and smell of the beer. Also, this glass should never be chilled, I repeat do not numb your taste buds with a 30 degree glass and beer. The reason why all of the macro brewed crap is served so cold is because they don't want you to taste how bad it actually is.

4. Enjoyment of beer should be an experience for all of your senses. Look at the color and head of the beer, smell the aromas of the beer, taste the beer and finally feel the beer in your mouth. To some of you this may seem like overkill right now, but trust me, the more you get into beer the more you will appreciate every aspect of it.

One last thing, obviously taste is subjective. To me a huge hoppy (bitter tasting) beer may be the best thing on Earth. While to you it could be a complete waste of money. All I am trying to say is, take everything you read on here with a grain of salt. If you are willing to risk a little money on a new beer, most of the time you will be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy!

Let's begin

As many of you know I love beer. Not just any beer, but finely crafted American beer, imports and home brews. This blog is going to attempt to explain to everyone my love of beer. I also hope to educate (not that I know what I am talking about) any of you readers out there about how great beer can be. With the new information, hopefully you will be encouraged to take a chance and purchase one of those so-called "weird" beers the next time you are at the store.

With that said, here is my brief history within the world of beer. I began, like almost everyone I know either drinking Coors Light, Bud Light, or anything else we could get our hands on. This satiated my thirst for many years. Then around 2-3 years ago I finally saw the light and began to dabble in the world of craft beer. Over the past years I have searched out finer establishments which carry craft beers, I have been to multiple breweries (some of them 450 miles away), and I have also started home brewing. I can't take all the credit for the home brewing, this project/hobby/obsession is something that I share with my roommate. He will remain nameless until I get his written consent.

My goal is to use this blog as way to update my friends, family and anyone else out there who might give a shit about:

• All home brewing activities, including new recipes, new equipment, our process of home brewing and obviously, drinking the home brew.
  
• Any events that I may be attending and that you may want to attend as well. Whether it is a beer festival, a tasting at a restaurant or bar or even just a trip to the local watering hole.
• Also keep everyone up to speed on any new beers that are out on the market and offer suggestions, if you trust me.

This is going to be a work in progress, so any comments or questions will be greatly appreciated. In know way do I consider myself an expert, but rather someone who likes to drink and talk about great beer, so I hope you all enjoy.