Berliner Weisse is the city's traditional sour wheat beer: 3 percent ABV, tart-fermented with lactobacillus, served in a half-litre coupe with a green woodruff or red raspberry syrup shot.
Berliner Weisse was first brewed in the late 16th century and reached its peak in the late 19th century when over 700 Berlin breweries produced the style; Napoleon's troops in 1809 reportedly called it the Champagne of the North. Production collapsed through the 20th century to two industrial brands (Berliner Kindl Weisse and Schultheiss Berliner Weisse), both heavily sweetened. The 21st-century revival was led by small Berlin brewers including Brauerei Lemke and Berliner Berg, who restored the wild-fermentation traditional methods alongside contemporary takes. The syrup tradition (Schuss Waldmeister green or Himbeer red) dates to the 1950s.
3 editor picks for Berliner Weisse in Berlin, ranked by editorial score. All Berlin signature dishes · Berliner Weisse across every city.
BRLO Brwhouse ★ 4.8
gleisdreieck · Schoneberger Strasse 16, 10963 Berlin
BRLO Brwhouse sits in 38 upcycled shipping containers in the Park am Gleisdreieck, brewing a full range of craft lagers, IPAs and seasonal sours.
Vagabund Brauerei ★ 4.5
wedding · Oudenarder Strasse 16-20, 13347 Berlin
Vagabund Brauerei in a Wedding Kesselhaus (boiler house) brews American-influenced ales alongside a proper Berliner Weisse; the taproom pours ten handles.
Berliner Berg Brauerei ★ 4.0
neukoelln · Treptower Strasse 39, 12059 Berlin
Berliner Berg Brauerei in Neukoelln brews a Berliner Weisse and a pale ale from a landmark 1920s building; the courtyard beer garden opens April to September.