In the brewpub heyday of the 1990s, virtually every brewery had a hefeweizen on tap as a âgateway beerâ for people new to the intense flavors of craft beer styles. Hefeweizens then went out of style for many years, but they seem to be making a comeback, as a number of California breweries have produced these refreshing wheat beers recently. The fluffy mouthfeel, low alcohol and soft flavor profile make them perfect brews for summer.
Gateway to Hefen
Chuck Silva founded the eponymous Silva Brewing in Paso Robles with his wife, MJ, in 2015 after he spent 11 years as brewmaster for San Diegoâs Green Flash Brewing Co. The first thing I noticed about Silvaâs Gateway to Hefen hefeweizen was the aggressive carbonation â even with a very gentle pour, this beer formed a massive, fluffy head. The beer is a luminous straw color in the glass, with a dense, steady stream of bubbles rising, and incredibly bright aromas of fruity yeast aromatics, lemony tartness and disti
Easy to find and locally made, Laughing Monk has grown from homebrew to regional staple
Laughing Monk brews in San Francisco and sells locally.
Since the pandemic has limited the number of opportunities to leave the house over the past year, I’ve taken the opportunity to drive around visiting local breweries as a way to spend a couple hours on a Saturday afternoon. One of my favorite Bay Area breweries during this time has been Laughing Monk Brewing, launched by homebrewers Andrew Casteel and Aaron Hicks in 2016 in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood.
Laughing Monk’s creative varieties of Belgian brews, lagers, pale ales and IPAs – both West Coast and hazy styles – are consistently flavorful and well made. (Another new favorite is Santa Cruz’s New Bohemia Brewing Co. – read more about it next month.)