Style: Berliner weisse
Brewery: Brewski
Origin: Sweden
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 4%
Price: 43kr
Systembolaget: 31168
Based in Helsingborg, Brewski currently run two bars in Helsingborg and Helsinki, along with the famous beer festival Brewskival. This was first released in March 2020 and contains strawberry, raspberry, lemon and vanilla. This style of beer was first recorded being brewed in Berlin in 1572, and is usually made using between 25% – 50% wheat in the grain bill. It is soured using lactobacillus, which produces lactic acid (mjölksyra) as it metabolises the sugars. At the height of Berliner Weisse production in the 19th century, 700 breweries in Berlin produced it, but by the end of the 20th century there were only two breweries left. As it was Midsummers, I had to finish the tasting with a strawberry themed beer, so this seemed like a logical choice to fill that space!
This had a dull raspberry colour to it with a faint pink head that bubbled up well and was so thick. The aroma was absolutely amazing, with the malts not subdued by the big strawberry and vanilla notes. It was refreshing that each component in the aroma had enough room to shine. This continued into the taste, with the strawberries being quite tart and slightly unripe, but still worked beautifully with the creamy vanilla notes. This was just like eating a liquid strawberry cheesecake, with the malts present enough to give a nice biscuit base foundation to the taste. The one downside I felt was that the mouthfeel was quite thin, and I think the beer could have benefitted from a slightly more robust body, but that is just a minor fault in a great beer.
This was a great sour and it was simply delicious. I could see this being a great starter beer for people who are not fans of sour beers, as the sweet vanilla helped to curtail any excessive acidity. I think Brewski are producing some amazing beers right now, and I’m so happy to see the trend continue. If you get a chance to track this down, I highly recommend you invest in a can!