Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Style Weisse
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Tasting Notes
The aroma leads with sharp lactic sourness, undercut by a faint wheaty grain note and a hint of bread dough. On the palate, the acidity is front and center — clean, almost vinegar-adjacent but stopping well short of harsh — with very little hop presence and a light, almost watery body that suits the style. The finish is tart and dry, leaving the mouth refreshed rather than puckered. At 5%, this sits slightly higher than many modern Berliner Weisse interpretations, giving it a touch more substance without losing the characteristic lean character.
About the Brewery
Professor Fritz Briem is associated with Doemens Academy, a respected brewing and malting school near Munich, Germany. The 1809 label is essentially a scholarly reconstruction project — an attempt to revive the historic Berliner Weisse style using traditional methods, including the mixed-fermentation approach that defined the style in the 19th century. It's less a commercial brewery in the conventional sense and more an academic institution producing beer with serious technical intent.
Food Pairings
The sharp acidity here works well with cured and smoked fish — think gravlax or smoked mackerel — because the tartness cuts through the fat and salt without overwhelming the delicate flesh. A classic Berlin pairing is white asparagus, where the clean sourness complements the vegetal bitterness of the spear. Fresh chèvre or other young, tangy cheeses mirror the lactic character rather than fighting it. Steamed mussels with a light broth also hold up well, as the acidity brightens the briny, oceanic flavors in the same way a dry white wine would.
Style Guide
Berliner Weisse is a low-to-moderate-strength German wheat beer defined primarily by lactic acid sourness rather than hop bitterness or malt sweetness. It originated in Berlin, where by the 19th century it had become the city's dominant beer style, traditionally produced through a warm mixed fermentation involving both Lactobacillus bacteria and ale yeast. The result is a pale, highly carbonated, sharply tart beer with minimal hop character — distinguishing it from Gose, which adds coriander and salt, and from Belgian witbier, which relies on spice rather than acidity for its complexity.