A change of pace...

This morning I did something different. I got up at my usual hour, but instead of suiting up and heading to work I put on some shorts and took a nice stroll up the Mount, down to the Harbor and then back up First Ave. The air was heavy; a thick fog had descended on the Bay. The tympanic sounds of song birds were supported by the deep Bass tone of the ferry’s fog horn. A nice change of pace … memo to self- do this more often…

Also a nice change of a pace, the Hefeweizen is a hazy unfiltered brew that is made with a healthy dose of un-malted wheat and special strains of top-fermenting yeast. As a summer quencher it is a refreshing treat! This weekend I made it a point to chill and enjoy three different “hefe’s.” The first hefe I sampled was Franziskaner from Spaten-Franziskaner- Brau, Munich, Germany. This brew is very much a mainstream beer. It pours a hazy, bright yellow with a generous, tightly-knit head. The much anticipated aromas of fruit and spice are somewhat muted but are definitely there - predominately ripe bananas and earthy cloves as well as a pleasant yeast aroma. The taste is slightly tart with the some bread notes and a floral hop bite. In a word – refreshing. This brew is commonplace in our area. It is available on tap at Briody’s in Rumson and available in bottles in better local stores.

More difficult to find and in my opinion worth seeking out is Julius Echter Hefeweizen from Wurzbuger Hofbrau. This is a more complex and strongly flavored brew. The aroma is richly fruity, the palate is sharp and slightly tart and the appearance is a darker yellow by comparison with the Franzikaner.

Brewed closer to home, Vermont based Magic Hat’s Circus Boy is a very accessible American interpretation of the style. It is available in six-packs and as part of their “Joe’s Garage Sampler.”

Some notes on serving Hefe’s: In general this beer style has a tendency to generate an overabundant head. This can be tamed by rinsing your glass with cold water just prior to pouring and by carefully pouring it down the side until a small amount (about two inches) remains in the bottle. At this point stop pouring and swirl the bottle a few times to dislodge the yeasty sediment and then pour the remainder of the beer into your glass. Be sure to use a tall wide-mouthed glass if you can locate one. This will best showcase this great style’s exotic aroma and sunny appearance. Many places insist on serving a lemon wedge with a hefe. I recommend you pass on this, but the curious can ask their server for the lemon on the side and try it both ways.

Welcome to summer!