February 18, 2009: Sudwerk

Collegiate life in America is full of many tried and true traditions, some of which have lasted to well over three centuries. No matter how cliched they might be, there are certain icons of college life that you will undoubtedly experience on almost every campus in America. You're going to have your fraternity brothers and sorority sisters decked out in all of their Greek gear for about the first two weeks of school in an effort to recruit new members. You're going to have trouble finding parking for the first couple of weeks until all the slackers stop kidding themselves and just drop all of their classes and spend their student loan money on weed. And if you live in a college town, you're undoubtedly going to find a bar within a block of campus where the students and faculty alike congregate during the most stressful periods of the semester. In Davis, California, this hub of activity is Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hübsch, a local family owned microbrewery with a penchant for hefeweizens.

A hefeweizen is a German style beer that is made with a high volume of wheat in the brewing process. Hefeweizens are typically top-fermented beers, and in fact German law mandates that all hefeweizens be top fermented. The result of the wheaty brewing process is a sturdy, cloudy beer that's heavier than a standard lager or pilsner. Sudwerk is an American take on a German classic, and the results are actually pretty decent. The first thing I noticed about Sudwerk was the standard golden yellow cloudiness that you typically expect from a hef. Visually speaking, this brew had everything in order, and it wasn't far behind on taste either. Hefeweizens usually have a bit of residue that rests on the bottom of your glass because it is not filtered the way that a traditional lager is. In America, the most popular brands of hefeweizen are Pyramid and Widmer Brothers, but in my opinion Surwerk stacks up quite nicely against the big boys. If you're a fan of the hef's, look for this one in your local specialty shop and don't forget to drop the customary wedge of lemon into the glass!

Cheers and Prost!
Ian

http://www.sudwerk.com/