Mother Earth Brewing

As I hope you’ve heard by now, Mother Earth Brewing is preparing to can a Hefeweizen style ale appropriately named Sunny Haze. The canning room renovation is just about complete and production will begin asap. But, if you’re anxious to taste what it’s all about, then head into the Taproom next week and you’ll likely score yourself a pint or two on draft. Ya, we’re hoping to wet your palate. So what’s a Hefeweizen all about? I’ll share with you what I know, in layman’s terms.

In German, "Hefe" means yeast, "Weizen" means wheat. You might have guessed these beers contain high wheat content. So, Hefeweizen is what’s termed a “wheat beer.” They are also unfiltered. The result is a beer that’s light in color and pours cloudy (or hazy.) Yes, it is supposed to look cloudy, I promise. Sometimes you’ll hear people use the term “white beer” or Weissbier- that’s because when Hefeweizen came to be, most beers were still dark.  Don’t be surprised to hear lots of people simply call Hefeweizen “Hefe” for short.

So what can you expect Mother Earth Brewing’s Sunny Haze Hefeweizen style ale to taste like? Well, it has low hop bitterness, a light fruitiness, a mild spiciness a moderate bit of alcohol (ours hits at about 4.9% ABV or alcohol by volume.) It smells citrusy and yeasty and you’ll notice that it pours with a big head. There’s also a hint of clove. Once it’s in your mouth, there’s no denying its refreshing flavor and moderate carbonation. Sunny Haze Hefeweizen style ale is an exceptionally easy drinking summertime beer.

Your Hefe will show off best in a tall glass with a narrow bottom, wider mid section and narrow rim. But don’t get too hung up on having just the right glass; this stuff offers your senses a refreshing surprise no matter what it’s poured into.

If you’re thinking of firing up the grill, consider pairing your Sunny Haze with chicken or shrimp, accompanied by a fresh salad that’s topped with Feta cheese.

A note about the lemon wedge. Some brewers and beer veterans get all worked up about the lemon wedge, but I’m not here to preach. Simply put, you’ll see some people (usually Americans) drink their Hefe with a lemon wedge perched on the rim of the glass. While the decision to use a wedge or not is totally up to you, we happen to enjoy Sunny Haze without the wedge. A lemon wedge often cuts head retention and impairs the beer’s true flavor. We like our Hefe pure, but again, it’s all up to you.

I hope I’ve left you with a decent understanding of what you can expect out of Mother Earth Brewing’s Sunny Haze. It’s definitely a beer that pleases a wide range of palates- we hope yours will be included!

Peace, Love and Beer…....Trent