Most beers are made primarily from grains like barley and rye or adjuncts like rice and corn. Wheat beer is any beer made from at least 50% wheat. While there’s a variety of wheat beers offering complex flavor profiles, for the most part wheat beers tend to be light, summer-y and refreshing.

The first wheat beers started in Germany. Since then, the style has taken on a life of its own with a variety of offshoots. Here are a few of the most popular styles.

Hefeweizen: A Bavarian style beer known for being light in color, cloudy with notes of banana, bubblegum, and clove.

Witbier: A Belgian style wheat beer that is similar to a Hefenweizen, but with unique flavors of orange peel and coriander.

Berliner Weisse: A northern Bavarian style wheat beer that’s light and sour. It’s often mixed with fruit like raspberries, peaches or citrus.

American Wheat: Obviously we couldn’t let Germany have all the wheat beer fun. American wheat beer is generally lighter and more adaptable, with some extra hoppy editions.

Unfortunately, no. Just because a beer uses whole wheat, malted wheat, or isn’t filtered, doesn’t mean it’s healthier. Most mass-produced wheat beers have around 170 calories, similar to any other full-strength brew.

Summer in a bottle. Wheat beers are usually lighter and more carbonated, so they’ve got a thick foamy head and a complex flavor profile including banana, clove, orange peel and coriander.

Rye can be added to any type of beer, but it works particularly well in complex beers like IPAs. So, rye isn’t a style of beer so much as an additive used in the brewing process. Regardless of the style, in order to be considered a ‘rye beer’ it must use a significant amount of rye in the brewing process and have strong rye flavors present in the finished product.

The addition of rye will add a unique spice to any beer, often compared to pumpernickel bread. Rye also enhances the color of beer by giving it a robust red tint. #instagramready

You know Saucey’s got you covered. Whether you’re beating the summer heat with a wheat beer or enjoying a spicy night in with a rye, let us bring you a beer… or six.

Go for the Golden Road Hefeweizen, you won’t be disappointed!

The beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder. Our suggestion is dip your toe in, see what it feels like, and go from there.