hoegaarden bier
Witbier or "white beer" is a barley/wheat, top-fermented beer brewed mainly in Belgium, although there are also examples in the Netherlands and elsewhere. It gets its name due to suspended yeast and wheat proteins which cause the beer to look hazy, or white, when cold. Its origins come from medieval beers which were not brewed with hops, but instead flavoured and preserved with a blend of spices and other plants referred to as "gruit". It therefore still uses gruit, although nowadays the gruit consists mainly of coriander, orange, bitter orange, and hops. The taste is therefore only slightly hoppy, and is very refreshing in summer. The beers have a somewhat sour taste due to the presence of lactic acid. The suspended yeast in the beer causes some continuing fermentation in the bottle. Witbier differs from other varieties of wheat beer in the use of gruit. French regulation excluded the use of hops in gruit. Witbier can be made with raw wheat, in addition to wheat malt. In recent times, some Belgian brewers have been making fruit flavored wheat beers.