Most of us have tried Bavaria’s Hefeweizens and Bohemia’s pilsners, but for whatever reason, the city beer of Berlin rarely travels far from Germany’s capital. Compared to other German styles it’s also seldom imitated in North America. Luckily, one of Ontario’s best versions of the style has just made its way into the LCBO.
The unusual, tart flavour is likely part of the reason that Berliner Weisse doesn’t get much air time, but it’s a good gateway between beer for refreshment’s sake and more complex flavours.
True to form for the style, Nickel Brook’s version pours with a quickly-fading white foam on top of a hazy light yellow beer.The aroma has plenty of lime flash with a touch of copper penny that leads nicely into the tart, citrus-laden flavour and an entirely dry finish. There is just a tiny bit of funk hiding in the background of the lingering aftertaste that builds anticipation for the next sip.
Nickel Brook has celebrated the beer’s wide release with a name change from Green Light to Über. The former name (whose very remote driving association may have been problematic) alluded to the peculiar way this beer is often served. Berliners traditionally doctor their weisse with one of two flavoured syrups. With a dose of raspberry syrup it looks like a stoplight, straight up is a warning amber, and with Woodruff syrup (a sweet, herb-based concoction that has a Martian green colour) it has a permissive green hue.
Woodruff syrup is nearly impossible to find in Canada, but you can make your own raspberry syrup. Cook six parts raspberries with one part granulated sugar and a squeeze of lemon, strain out those awful seeds, and chill.
With the syrup or on its own, Nickel Brook’s Über Berliner Weisse is perfectly suited for taking the edge off of summer’s hottest afternoons.
Nickel Brook’s Über Berliner Weisse, $7.95 for a 750 ml bottle, LCBO #386466
In addition to covering beer, new restaurants and food trucks for Post City, David Ort writes about food and drink for several Toronto publications including his own site, Food With Legs. He is the author of The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook; now in stores and available for ordering online. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter or get in touch at info@foodwithlegs.com.
