American-Style Wheat Beer

What is American-Style Wheat Beer?

American-style wheat beer is a light, pale, easy-drinking beer brewed using 30–50% wheat malt.

In contrast to hefeweizen, American wheat beer lacks the banana or clove notes typically associated with wheat beer as it commonly employs either neutral ale yeast or lager yeast for fermentation. The beer is mildly malty and bready in taste. Its hop character and bitterness levels vary from low to medium. Additionally, hints of citrus from American hops can be discerned in its aroma.

American wheat beer also serves as a versatile base from which to craft various fruit beers.

Origin Story

Until the 1980s, wheat was rarely used in America for making beer. American wheat beer originated with small-scale brewers who wanted to make a beer similar to German hefeweizen but lacked access to weizen yeast. Instead, they used either neutral American ale yeast or lager yeast. As a result, American wheat beer had a quite different character from German wheat beer and became its own beer style.

The popularity of American wheat beers grew rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s as many craft breweries began creating their own versions. American wheat beer has also been used as a base for making various fruit beers: in the 1990s, raspberries were often used, though less assertive fruits are favoured today.