Wheatless

Erdinger is a weissbier brewery. For many in these parts, I'm sure, it's the only weissbier brewery. They've had a very decent Helles on the books for some years --  Fischer's -- but have always kept the brand separate, pretending it doesn't come from the same vast plant in the Munich suburbs. For some reason now they've decided to alter that arrangement, releasing a lager under the Erdinger brand for the first time, that I've noticed anyway.

Erdinger Helles is suspiciously the exact same strength as Fischer's Hell: 5.1% ABV. It's a handsome rich golden colour in the glass, though the head faded a little more quickly than is polite. Cake, biscuits and grass are the aroma, fully in compliance with the style's requirements, while the mouthfeel is full and almost chewy. This is a filling beer; properly wholesome, though still clean and precise. The flavour offers some fun floral topnotes on honey and white bread. It's pretty damn good, just like Fischer's is/was. If this is a straight rebrand, I'll happily take the excuse to buy it and drink it again. Frankly, Erdinger are no great shakes at making standard weissbier so why not flip the brand to excellent lager?

With this comes a lemonaded version: Erdinger Radler. It's already quite sweet, so would that clash with the sugary soft drink? Not really, as it turned out. The beer side of the equation is deeply buried under the classy cloudy lemonade, one that tastes like real lemons and is properly bitter. I don't know that the beer is really adding much to the picture, other than whatever buzz you get from 2.6% ABV. The sugar is more likely to have you buzzing than the alcohol. Still, opened on a warm summer's afternoon, this hit the spot just right -- sharp, refreshing and energising. Can't say fairer than that.

Is this the beginning of a whole new era for the Erdinger brand? Is hazy IPA and pastry stout only a matter of time? Stay tuned: anything can happen!