The first time I enjoyed a wheatwine was at Rubicon Brewing in Sacramento, California. It was wintertime in the late ’80s. I had no idea what a “wheatwine” was, but it sounded cool—and as a young person in her twenties, I was looking more at the alcohol content.
What arrived at the table was a chalice. At the time, it reminded me of a highfalutin glass offered by caterers at a hotel convention—but instead of ice water, this special-event stemware was filled with a deep golden, slightly hazy beer topped with creamy-textured foam. It smelled of bread and biscuits with light toast and honey, and there was a mild yet distinctive floral hop note. The flavor delivered on that aroma, adding its own dried-fruit character. At 10 percent ABV, there was a bit of pleasant warmth as it went down.
Even if I didn’t know anything about wheatwine at the time, I knew this: It was a delight.