Witbier
Witbier beers have a straw colour an ABV between 4.5% and 5.5% and a medium bitterness.
Witbier characteristics
Witbier is a refreshing wheat ale with a low ABV. It usually has a pale hazy appearance due to the yeast. Aroma and taste are moderately malty, with many spices an herbal hints and a low bitterness.
History
Witbier, also known as bière blanche, has its origins in the 14th century in Wallonia—the now French speaking part of Belgium. The most popular Witbier was from the cities of Leuven and Hoegaarden, in the province of Brabant. With the advent of industrialization, the style did slowly die, and it was just preserved by one brave brewer, Pierre Celis, who built a small brewery in 1966 in Hoegaarden and begun experimenting with several Witbier recipes. After a fire in his brewery, Pierre then moved to Austin, Texas and in 1992 he opened there the Celis brewery and finally he moved back to Belgium, leaving behind the renewed popularity of Witbier in the US.