White and red beers

[victor steinbok]

Wiki has no article on "white beer", but it redirects to "wheat beer". Wiki
claims two types of "wheat beer" both named "white beer" in their native
environment--the Dutch/Belgian witbier (spiced top-fermenting wheat beer)
and German (Bavarian) Weissbier (traditionally unfiltered, but available in
many other forms). Each uses a particular kind of yeast--and, obviously,
both are distinguished by having wheat as the main malting agent. The
Belgian witbier is often sold in the US as "white ale"--and the label is
fair because witbier is top-fermenting, warm temperature beer. Weissbier
usually goes by weizen (which is, of course, a more accurate
representation), with additional nomenclature distinguishing different
types. Unlike darks, brown ale, pale ale and red ale/beer, "white" is not
the color of the brew (in fact, dunkelweizen is technically a dark "white
beer" and virtually all "white beers" are darker than pale ales). Nor is it
a denomination representing lighter alcohol content. When we tried brewing
(undergrads at MIT), we found wheat beer to be among the most difficult to
make (we never succeeded with ginger beer either but for entirely different
reasons), the easiest being stout (given proper malt and hops). I am at a
loss for the reasons behind the association of wheat and "white beer".

As for "red beer", AFAIK, all red beers are also ales--i.e., "red ale" is
more accurate. This does not mean that people don't use "red beer"
moniker--just that the proper nomenclature would be "red ale" (Irish or
Belgian). Any red beer that claims NOT to be an ale is likely to be
essentially fake--light beer with additional non-standard coloring agent
(e.g., caramel color). Purists will reject the existence of "red beer"
(except as a misnomer for "red ale").

VS-)

On Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 1:35 AM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>wrote:

>
> Other than a sentence under "mawkish," the OED does not have "white beer."
>
> -----
> 1887    W. Beatty-Kingston Mus. & Manners II. 308   ‘White beer’, a liquor
> of paramount mawkishness.
> -----
>
> Brown ale is listed, so surely "white beer" and "red beer" qualify.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA

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