Berliner Weisse

Napoleon's troops reportedly called it the Champagne of the North, and that is the right frame for a skeptic. Berliner weisse is a very pale, very fizzy wheat beer with a clean lemony sourness in place of hop bitterness, which is close to undetectable. At roughly 3 to 4 percent it suits an afternoon in the sun. Order one in Berlin and you may be asked red or green: a shot of sweet raspberry syrup or grassy woodruff. American brewers often add fruit instead, which turns it into something like a tart soda for grown-ups. For the straight version, Berliner Berg and Bayerischer Bahnhof make classic examples.