I've had a few people tell me i was supposed to drink a hefeweizen with a lemon wedge. I'm trying to figure out why the heck they'd think that's a good idea. I mean, add acid to a nice foamy wheat beer and it's not a good happy reaction. It ruins taste.

The other part is that I've had numerous Germans seem shocked at the idea, too, so at least I feel justified in disbelieving the lemon idea.

Most of the time, I ask for no lemon or other fruit things with my hefeweizen, but on occasion I still get one. I don't like it, but on rare occasions, it actually seems good. (or maybe I had too many to tell the difference) *shrugs*

In general, I don't add fruit to beer, it seems like sacrilege :-)

Phillip has all the facts re: Weizen and Lemons. I'll not repeat them, as he's probably just gearing up to spout them off.

But I actually like lemon in Hefeweizen. And actually, I like lemon in a lot of beers, or lime.

I prefer beer to taste solidly of both hops and malt. So, when drinking something like an IPA, a bit of lemon helps mellow out the excessive hoppiness (yes, I know that excessive hoppiness is the point of IPA's. I'm talking about what I like, not what's "right").

I am always wary of highly valuing the opinions of Germans on beer just because they're German. Most of the Germans with which I went to school had a terribly narrow scope of what beer was. Very elitist. "Yeah, yeah, Reinheitsgebot. Hush up and have a Thomas Hardy's from the cellar, ya Wichtigtuer."
Just because he's a Scot doesn't mean I'll trust him to judge my whisky.

I know it's a long shot, but I imagine the reason they do this is that they like the resulting taste. If you find a more sinister reason, let us know.

(For the record, I drink my beer without fruit.)

In Response to mea37 (#8726):

Not living in an area that has hefeweizen readily available most of the time (no, not siberia, australia), the only beer I'll have with lemon is corona.

I heard a reason for this: when they served beer in dirty dingy pubs (perhaps back in the ol' west or the deepest darkest centre of me'ico) the best way to disinfect the lip of the bottle was to rub a chunk of lemon around it. This changed the taste, and some people liked it.

Sounds like a reasonable story to me, and I like corona with a lime.

In Response to unFalln (#8728):

lemon != lime

Corona is typicaly served with a lime wedge, not a lemon.

When ripe, limes are actually yellow, not green.

In Response to Dynedain (#8729):

lemon != lime

Yeah, tell the average local publican that. vodza-lime-soda with a slice of lemon?

In an attempt to maintain my beer pedantry status I turned to Google on this one. (I'm not a big Hefeweizen drinker, more of an IPA or porter girl.) I was then side-tracked by this. [widmer.com]

Admit it, none of you wanted to work today anyway.

Does it matter if the Lemon was sentient? Or do feral lemons yield a less bitter taste?

In Response to introp (#8718):

Hmm. True, but in addition to being German, I tend to listen to her advice on beer, because she's had quite a lot, and seems to enjoy most of it. Actually, that's a bit misleading. She's actually English, but living in Germany for awhile. I keep meaning to actually try it with lemon, just to see what the heck the fuss is all about, though.

Granted, I like it without the lemon, and I like it around 55-60 degrees (Fahrenheit). The idea of adding acid to it just doesn't seem right in mind mind. That is, until I think about wheat, and how it's a bit more acidic than some other grains used in brewing, and then it makes some sort of near half-sense.

I don't know what most Germans do, but in Munich, where the whole Hefeweizen thing originated, they seem to like the lemons, but only in the weizens.
I think it's a taste thing, like the amount of vermouth in a martini - if you don't like it, definitely don't do it.
Then make fun of the people who do for being weenies.

My housemate recently surprised me by ordering not one, but two orange slices in her hefeweizen. She said she liked the stronger, yet sweeter, taste, without the tartness/sourness. I haven't tried it yet, so I can't really pass judgment on it yet.

an overclocked lemon?

the only um, additives I have ever heard of of this sort is lemon edge to corona and an egg to guiness.

It would appear that at least one brewer [widmer.com] seems to think it is a good idea. But I ain't no lemming! I prefer no lemon.

In Response to Oedipa_Maas (#8743):

Does someone who lives in Widmer distribution area want to participate in a "intranational" beer exchange?

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier is my all time favorite beer, and it says here [widmer.com] that Widmer Brothers' Hefeweizen uses the same yeast, so I'd be interested to try it...

In Response to mjforbes666 (#10709):

While I live in the home town of Widmer, I am disinclined [goats.com] to enter into another beer exchange. Feel free to e-mail me, but I will require receiving beer before I ship my selection.

In Response to Oedipa_Maas (#10723):

Compound words are stupid.

Hometown.

In Response to kornz (#8820):

an egg to guiness

Ugh! Can you imagine how you'd smell the following day?

In Response to evilaltor (#10735):

it is tradition in ireland.
it is called an "Irish Breakfast"

In Response to kornz (#10736):

It's possible, and I mean just barely possible, that Evilaltor might actually have a better idea about what's "traditional" in Ireland than you do.

In Response to zamphir (#10738):

You'd think that, but TV has watered down my Irishness with so many US sitcoms that I feel like I live in the middle of Manhattan rather than dirty aul' Dublin. Like, y'know. Whatever.

In Response to evilaltor (#10746):

Just watch "The Commitments" a few times, that'll fix you right up.

If that doesn't do the whole job, throw "The Matchmaker" into the mix.

In Response to zamphir (#10747):

Actually, in secondary school, we read "The Commitments" for a play in English class. Probably the only time I could shout and swear at my teacher and get away with it.

In Response to evilaltor (#10746):

you are from ireland?
awsome, I spent a few summers in dublin and belfast working.

In Response to Oedipa_Maas (#10723):

Ah, what you need is a beer escrow service. You can both ship your beer to me, and I'll make sure it gets to the appropriate place :)