Wheat beers. Can a guy finally stand up and say I am tired of people fawning over wheat beers, when I really couldn’t stand another sweet coriander finish on a really hot day? Always associated with summertime, you almost can’t escape a draft list of wheat beer in July, the way you must embrace a stout and porter list in the depths of the frozen tundra come winter.

We were lucky enough to sample Flying Fish’s Exit 11 last week, and have found ourselves fans of a wheat beer now, thanks to head brewer Casey Hughes’ slap in the face of a traditional wheat style.

From first pour, the golden liquid caressed the glass in slow motion, revealing a triumphant head of thick lacing and soft edges. On the nose there was no sense of sweetness, just a citrus bite of hop-drenched goodness. You’ve never had a beer like this. The beer goes down way too easily, the soft pour translated directly to the tactile experience on the tongue: It is supremely balanced.

‘I used 3 different Pacific Northwest Hops in the mix: Palisade, Amarillo, and Columbus, because that’s what I want to taste when I’m drinking in the summer. You still have the body of the wheat ale. Light and fairly low in alcohol. But none of the residual sweetness.’, says Hughes.

We felt a little guilty believing that a beer from the Dirty Jerz would be the best representation of what we wanted all this summer, but we can rest easy now knowing Hughes resides in South Philly. Wshew. So, drink up, friends of beer. Exit 11 will be in severely limited supply, as only a few kegs will make it around, and the rest will be in bottles.

Stop by Varga Bar or The Swift Half on July 15th at 7PM for the official release party, and say hi to Casey. Thank him for giving Wheat Beers the South Philly hairy eyeball, and making something for the rest of us to drink.

Varga Bar, 10th & Spruce St.
The Swift Half, The Piazza At Schmidt’s