More and more Berliner Weisse-style beers are taking hold of our city. You’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the country with more breweries accepting the challenge of brewing this unique style. A low-alcohol wheat ale, Berliner Weiss is perfect for a hot summer day. With a rapidly vanishing head and effervescent mouth feel, this beer is refreshing, tart, sour and acidic, with lemony-citric fruit sharpness and almost no hop bitterness.
On the heels of the success of its Prussia, a traditional Berliner Weisse, 4 Hands Brewing Co. now brings us Ruby Red Prussia. After a 24-hour sour mash, 175 fresh, ruby red grapefruits were squeezed and zested into the beer during fermentation. The grapefruit gives the beer a slight pink hue and comes out alongside the lemony citrus in the aroma. At 3.5 ABV, it goes down easy and can quench your summer thirst.
You may have noticed that 4 Hands puts food recommendations on the sides of their bottles. In this case, they pair Ruby Red Prussia with ceviche and scallops. I’d also recommend a salad with a white balsamic vinaigrette. You’ll find the acid in the vinegar works wonders with the tartness of the beer.
Ruby Red Grapefruit is available at the 4 Hands Brewery tasting room, in bottles and on draft. Bottles will be widely available at fine liquor stores and groceries, while draft is available at some bars throughout the metro area. As summer comes to a close, it’s the perfect time for this delicious beer.
Eric Hildebrandt is the moderator and ambassador for STL Hops. Find him on Twitter at @EricSTL6.
This article appears in August 2013.