Cask, a nicely refurbished pub in Pimlico, London, continues to impress. This week, we noticed that their range of German bottled beers includes a Berliner weisse, which is a style we’ve been wanting to get our hands on for a while.
We have had it before — on a trip to the city of its origin in 2002, when we knew absolutely nothing about beer, and submitted to having it spiked with bright green fruit syrup.
So, drinking this 3% abv wheat beer straight, we were very impressed. It more than makes up for a lack of alcoholic kick with plenty of sourness and grainy flavour, and is certainly something we’d like to have around at our next party or barbecue.
For balance, we should say that Ron Pattinson’s not a fan of this brand — he considers it “disgusting crap”.
12 replies on “Berliner Weisse in London”
Blimey, you like it without the syrup! I’d go with the ‘disgusting crap’ verdict I’m afraid.
Yes, I’m afraid we did, but then we also quite like some of the dumbed down sweetened geuzes that we’re not meant to.
Can’t say I’m a fan, either. On the other hand, Cask, is a breath of fresh air.
Ed, Tyson, Ron: you’re all actually, factually, worong. Berliner Kindl rooooolz.
.. and being worong is a lot like being wrong.
A vote in the ‘for’ column for me, having just sampled my first bottle of Berliner Kindl Weisse. This despite the mouthfeel and taste somehow reminding me of soluble aspirin (admittedly, the bottle *was* a little out of date).
BTW, in the current political climate, it’s hard to imagine that you’d get away with a cartoon of a child on the label of a bottle of beer in the UK.
Beernut — have we found a beer we agree on? I thought it would never happen.
Andrew — at least it didn’t remind you of that banana flavoured diarhoea medicine, which is how Mongozo Coconut tasted to us!
Ah, but Beer Nut, you had it with the syrup, a different matter entirely
Unfortunately, Kindl is the only Berliner Weisse left. So by default it’s the best.
I bought half a dozen bottles just over a year ago. Fresh, it was revolting. After about six months it was greatly improved and actually tasted like Berliner Weisse.
What about 1809 Berliner Weisse? Made in Upper Bavaria, but still. And I’ll be the first to admit that I love Liefmans “Kriek” – who cares if it’s not a true lambic?
As for the B. Weisses, I like the non-syrup route myself. One because it lets you enjoy that raw tartness and grain. Two because I can’t be bothered to buy special syrup to put into my beer.
Eric — I don’t know where you’d even buy woodruff syrup in the UK!
On a vaguely related note, at our big anniversary party last year, we had home brewed wheat beer, but offered people an equally homemade strawberry syrup to stick in it. That worked really well.
Had the 1809 Berliner Weisse and it was almost totally unlike the real thing.
Who else still remembers the wonderful East German Schultheiss Berliner Weisse? What a great beer that was.