Summer Crush Berliner Weisse Tart Wheat Ale

Review Date 8/16/2023  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Berliner Weisse   Brewery: Hi-Wire   Country: USA   State: North Carolina   $ Per OZ: $.19 (B)   ABV: 4%

OMG it’s OMB! And you know, I LOVE OMB (Olde Mecklenburg Brewing). I visited the brewery several yeas ago and just fell in love with the painstakingly crafted German-style brews, the ornate back bar in the cozy dining area, and the vivacious beer garden. Oh and did I mention the delightful German food? I loved that so much I came back a second night for more (OK, the beer may have influenced that decision, too).

Hi-Wire Brewing! Get out of here! I LOVE Hi-Wire! Along with Olde Mecklenburg, Hi-Wire is one of my favorite North Carolina breweries, and that is saying a lot because North Carolina has some very fine breweries indeed. I (literally) stumbled on it while on a beer adventure in Asheville, and it was love at first sip.

Fortunately for me (and you, dear reader), Hi-Wire LOVES CLT (Charlotte), so they teamed up with Olde Mecklenburg to bring us Summer Crush Berliner Weisse Tart Wheat Ale. It’s a straight Berliner, no fruit thank you very much. Extra credit for that. Berliner Weisse is tart and quenching and is the perfect beach beer in my opinion. The low alcohol content of the style helps with that.

Hi-Wire Olde Mecklenburg Summer Crush Berliner Weisse Tart Wheat Ale has an alcohol content of 4% by volume. That’s a bit higher than I like for the style (ideally should range between 2.5% to 3.5%) but still lower than most beers. I paid $3.99 for a pint can from Total Wine, but they sell it for $11.99 a 4-pack. There is no freshness dating on my can.

Hi-Wire Olde Mecklenburg Summer Crush Berliner Weisse Tart Wheat Ale pours to a hazy yellow color with a light and quickly fading spritzy white head. The nose is very tart and wheaty, and a sip reveals a palate even more tart and wheaty. It’s crackery, too.  It finishes tart and sour, respectably so, but not puckeringly as the best Germans do. It is refreshing, though, and definitely a beer I want to drink again.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??