Last summer I managed to get pretty addicted to drinking goses. I’ve spent years gravitating towards higher ABV brews when I’m out with friends, but as I’ve gotten older, it’s started to get harder and harder to hit more than one or two bigger beers in an evening and still be an active participant in the rest of the night’s (or day’s) activities. A nice gose (my go-to was Anderson Valley’s Briny Melon) is a great way to enjoy a sour beer, without dealing with the consequences of drinking something higher in alcohol content.
Lower ABV beers have actually started to become quite a trend over the past few years. Along with a ton of goses, last year we saw plenty of session IPAs pop up all over the place, as well as a resurgence of Berliner Weissbiers.
Now was we approach the summer, some of those low-ABV gems have started to pop up in stores and bars. On a recent trip to one of my favorite local bars I came across a Berliner Weissbier, Bu Weisse, from de Garde Brewing. The thing that drew me in? This one clocks in at just 2.3%.
When we ordered it, the table discussion immediately devolved into “Why bother?” when it comes to something like this. While I enjoy the low-ABV stuff more and more these days, at 2.3% I could probably drink this literally all day and still not be very buzzed, which the consensus of the conversation was…that’s perfect.
There are definitely times when I want to feel my beer, but there are others when I’m drinking for the social aspect of it. I want to have a beer at the pool, or with friends at a cookout…. but then maybe I need to get some work done, or need to drive somewhere. For those situations, a 2.3% beer is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Bu Weisse is tart, with citrus notes that make it refreshing, and something you’d want to reach for on a hot summer day. Cereal malt and a bit of funk remind you that you’re drinking a beer, not a glass fruit juice. It’s amazingly drinkable, and something I can definitely see myself gravitating toward this summer if I see it out and about.
Brewery: De Garde
City: Tillamook, OR
Style: Berliner Weisse
ABV: 2.3%
Availability: Limited