Catawba Brewing Releases Small Batch Berliner Weisse

Catawba Brewing taps a new Berliner Weisse (4.9 percent ABV) on Thursday, September 7, at all locations. This is the first in a series of three consecutive German-style Small Batch beers leading up to the Catawba Oktoberfest celebration on September 30

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The home of the Berliner Weisse, Berlin, ranks high among the brewing capitals of Europe, with recorded beer history dating back to 1572. Historians have theorized the inspiration for the local sour wheat beer may have been brought to this cosmopolitan city by Huguenots, who likely would’ve been familiar with sour beer traditions of Northern Europe after migrating across Flanders, Brussels, and the Rhineland.

By the 19th century, Berlin had become the preeminent brewing city in Continental Europe. Like most historical styles, the popularity of the Berliner Weisse has risen and fallen with the prevailing beer trends of the times. Yet, it has lived on as a regional specialty, an enduring expression of Berlin’s brewing individuality.

True to style, Catawba’s Berliner Weisse is brewed with a significant portion of malted wheat, giving the beer a bready backbone with a touch of sweetness. It was then soured in the kettle for three days with the brewery’s house lactobacillus culture, followed by a short boil and fermentation. The result is a gentle tartness that doesn’t overpower the palate – light, complex, and refreshing.—-