Belitower Berliner Weisse
Church Street Brewing Company

Note: Typo in the name - it is "belltower". This is a rare effort by a smaller local brewer to pull off a Berliner Weisse. On all counts, it exceeds my expectations. I drink it on site and they have both options for schuss - red and green. I know of no other brewer in the Chicago burbs that tries this. I have long loved both exported Berliner Weisses - Kindl and Schultheiss.

If you have tried this style and don't like it - fine. But for me it is a true treat - fantastic on a hot day, an easy conversation starter. Years ago, Berliner Kindl had an ad campaign showing the beer like a stoplight - red, yellow (no schuss) and green. A decent tartness, but nothing puckering, light and airy on the palate - excellent carbonation.

In short - this can't really be judged against other styles of beer. Rank it against other Berliner Weisses and this will make you smile. This isn't just another cloudy or sour beer - it is something special.

Would I buy this in a can? Probably not - the schuss is a good part of it as is the Gemütlichkeit of their biergarten. (tiny, in the sun, next to a field, and next to the commuter train, but you can bring your dog to hang out.)

Can you really compare a beer with a beer experience of talking with the brewer in person?

 

Very cloudy colloidal piss yellow body, white head that fades. I'd ding it on the cloudiness except that it was intentional... ok, I'll let it slide. The nose has a wonderful mouth-watering tart nose with a fair amount of lemon and some wheaty malt behind it. The taste is pretty tart as well, even sour, with another big kick of lemon and some breadiness that is undoubtedly aided by the suspended particles. This wonderful flavor sadly fades on the finish, leaving only watered-down lemon juice as a reminder. The body is light and super easy to drink, with assertive but not too harsh carbonation.
Much good, strong yum flavor, just wish it lasted longer. Luckily it's easy to cure this, being so easy to drink and having a pretty manageable ABV.

Syrups are also available on location; I didn't use any (not that I'm against it), but good on Church Street for offering them.