Poll: Berliner Weisse. With or without syrup?

I'm into fruited berliners.

 

I think the elephant in the room that US craft beer geeks want to ignore, is the fact that in Germany this beer is probably considered the same way wine coolers would be here in America. I mean, look at these advertising shots:

 

Just spent a week in Germany and Belgium. In Berlin, getting a Berliner Weisse unmixed, served with the syrup in the bottom of an oversized goblet, and said Weisse poured with a circular flourish to help mix the syrup in situ without a stirrer; and drinking said freshly-mixed; superlative. Even better with a Berliner CurryWurst!

 

You're so right, that is a fact the ones always saying that America should enjoy it bracingly super tart and with syrup, like in Germany, forget always to mention, that it is considered a girl's beer in Germany if reports I read are true.

For me I love an extremely tart, bracing, lively in the mouth, refreshing beer, even better if it has some brett character to give it deeper flavors and complexity. To me it is a man's and woman's beer, and that goes for even if it has some fruit in it.

 

I wonder how Greg Koch would have voted in this poll. This quote was taken from his recent speech at the site of their new brewery in Berlin:

I think he would have voted for blueberry.

 

I've never had a Berliner Weisse with syrup but I've had Union's Old Pro Gose straight from the source, one with their Strawberry Thyme Syrup (or Juice, didn't seem to thick) and one with the Georgia Peach (same story).

 

Its Wilkes & Wilkes syrup. You can find it at most (fancy) liquor stores.

 

Okay, so being a scientist, let's do a side-by-side-by-side taste test.