What exactly is "white" beer?

Question

I've heard that this is more popular in Europe. What brands would be considered white beer?

Answer 1

White beer (Dutch : witbier, French : bière blanche) is a barley/wheat beer brewed mainly in Belgium, although there are also examples in the Netherlands and elsewhere. It gets its name due to suspended wheat proteins which cause the beer to look hazy, or white, when cold. It is a descendant from those Medieval beers which were not brewed with hops, but instead flavoured and preserved with a blend of spices and other plants referred to as gruut. It therefore still uses gruut, although nowadays the gruut consists mainly of coriander, orange, bitter orange, and hops. The taste is therefore only slightly hoppish, and is very refreshing in summer. The beers have a somewhat sour taste due to the lactic acid. They have a second fermentation in the bottle.

White beers differ from other varieties of wheat beer in their use of gruut. French laws (the territory was French in the 14th century) prohibited the use of hops in gruut. White beers are also often made with raw wheat, as opposed to the malted wheat found in other varieties.


[edit] Examples
Hoegaarden

Answer 2

White beer is a barley/wheat beer brewed mainly in Belgium, although there are also examples in the Netherlands and elsewhere. It gets its name due to suspended wheat proteins which cause the beer to look hazy, or white, when cold.

Answer 3

i think most american beer is white beer, over seas most of there beer is very dark and stronger

Answer 4

Hoegaarden, Blue Moon, most breweries make their own versions of it. its full-bodied and delicious.

Answer 5

BEER FOR WHITES