Witbier
Term from the Brauwerkstatt brewing glossary, category “Beer styles”.
Explanation
Belgian white beer brewed with unmalted wheat, coriander and orange peel. Pale, cloudy, refreshing and lightly spicy. By the late 1950s the style had almost disappeared; it was revived in Hoegaarden in 1966. Typical: 4.5–5.5 % ABV, 8–20 IBU.
Test your knowledge
What is a Belgian witbier spiced with?
- Cinnamon and clove
- Coriander and orange peel
- Juniper
Show answer
Correct: Coriander and orange peel. Witbier is brewed with unmalted wheat. In 1966 Pierre Celis revived the style in Hoegaarden.
Who revived the almost forgotten witbier in Hoegaarden in 1966?
- Arthur Guinness
- J. C. Jacobsen
- Pierre Celis
Show answer
Correct: Pierre Celis. As a boy, Celis had helped the village’s last witbier brewer.
In which country is “Hoegaarden”?
- Belgium
- France
- United Kingdom
Show answer
Correct: Belgium. In the late 1950s the last witbier brewery here closed. In 1966 Pierre Celis, who had helped the last witbier brewer as a boy, started brewing the beer again and made it world-famous.