Hefeweizen

Hello! I'm back! Due to lots of traveling my writing has been at a minimum. My apologies.

Beer Advocate

"A south German style of wheat beer (weissbier) made with a typical ratio of 50:50, or even higher, wheat. A yeast that produces a unique phenolic flavors of banana and cloves with an often dry and tart edge, some spiciness, bubblegum or notes of apples. Little hop bitterness, and a moderate level of alcohol. The "Hefe" prefix means "with yeast", hence the beers unfiltered and cloudy appearance. Poured into a traditional Weizen glass, the Hefeweizen can be one sexy looking beer."

Over the past few weeks I have found myself saying a word repeatedly at restaurants I am going to. That word is Hefeweizen. Probably the most fun word to say. And it is this time of year that I enjoy saying it the most because it renders images of a crisp, cold beer paired with a hamburger or pulled pork sandwich. Last evening I went to South Norwalk, CT (or SoNo) to the other Ginger Man which is the sister (or brother?) bar to the Ginger Man located in Manhattan where I end up much too often. I asked our waiter if there was a good Hefeweizen he could recommend, emphasizing the intense pronunciation of HEFE-WEI-ZEN. He recommended the Hofbrau Hefe-Weisse which came in a fun tall flute-like glass.
Of course I was hungry when I got to the restaurant and when my male companions started chomping down on hamburgers I became extremely jealous. After our waiter left me 3 times because I could not decide on what to get I finally decided on the pulled-pork sandwich. Connecticut may be right next door but the way they prepare a pulled-pork sandwich is worlds away. They put the coleslaw ON the sandwich. I may like the trees, the water, and the overly preppy way of dressing in this state but I want my refreshing coleslaw ON THE SIDE. One of the male companions was quick to say that this happened to him earlier in the day (um yeah, I know what your thinking, he was having a hamburger AFTER he had had a pulled-pork sandwich, no comment. No really, no comment, I would have done the same thing). Honestly, it was messier to eat and there was no pallet cleanser in between mouthfuls.

And yeah, I have a lot of male companions. Be jealous.

Another location that offers wonderful Hefeweizen is in Manhattan, the Hofbrau Bierhaus which also boasts a carbolicious pretzel to munch on which sipping out of your boot.