Hazy pale straw, brewed with wheat and spiced with coriander and orange peel, the Witbier is Belgium's great refresher. Soft, gentle, and aromatic, it is the beer that nearly went extinct before a single brewer brought it back.
A Witbier ("white beer") is an unfiltered Belgian wheat ale spiced with coriander and dried orange peel. Its cloudy, pale appearance gives the style its name.
How it tastes.
- Appearance
- Cloudy pale straw, with a fluffy white head.
- Aroma
- Coriander, orange peel, soft wheat, and a touch of honey.
- Palate
- Light, soft, and slightly tart, with a creamy wheat body.
- Finish
- Crisp, dry, and gently spiced.
How to serve.
The Witbier Tumbler · 4-6°CServe cold, around 4 to 6 degrees, in a thick faceted tumbler. Leave a little beer in the bottle to rouse the yeast, then top up for the signature cloudy glow. A slice of orange is optional but traditional.
History & tradition.
The witbier style had gone completely extinct by the 1950s until Pierre Celis, a milkman who had worked at a witbier brewery in his youth, revived it in the village of Hoegaarden in 1966. His cloudy, coriander-and-orange wheat beer sparked a worldwide revival, and the style is now brewed across the globe.
Witbier to try.
The breweries.
How to drink it.
Frequently asked.
It is unfiltered and brewed with a large proportion of raw wheat, which leaves proteins and yeast in suspension. The haze is a feature, not a flaw.
