Style: Hefeweizen

5.5% ABV

Fightin' Hokies Hefeweizen is a recipe based on traditional German Style Weisse beers.  This beer is brewed in collaboration with the Virginia Tech Food Science and Technology Department and is a result of a research and development trip conducted in Bavaria by Virginia Tech's faculty Brian Wiersema, Sean O'keef, Bruce Herbert, and Hardywood's Master Brewer Brian Nelson.  Traveling throughout Bavaria together the foursome visited authentic and historic German brewing suppliers such as Weyermann Specialty Malt headquarters and Hopsteiner Hop Farms to learn about and evaluate ingredients for this recipe.  Inspiration was found visiting Schneider Weisse and Riegele Breweries to discuss German brewing techniques and Weisse beer flavor profiles with Brewmasters Joseph Lechner and Frank Miller.  A few pints were shared over a fantastic exchange of information.  To top it off we sought guidance from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) based at the oldest brewery in the world, Weihenstephan.  The Virginia Tech Food Science and Technology Department has a unique relationship with TUM and Weihenstephan through a program that allows eager Virginia Tech Students the opportunity to travel to the TUM campus to be engrossed in German brewing education.  In return, TUM students travel to Virginia Tech and have the opportunity to learn about American Craft Brewing techniques and beer styles that are popular in American Craft beer.  Each year, the German TUM students visit Hardywood Park to get a glimpse of our brewing process and the craft beer styles we make.Fightin' Hokies Hefeweizen is brewed with Over 50% wheat malt in combination with drum-roasted caramel and Munich malts from Weyermann Specialty Malts.  Barke Pilsner Malt, a German heirloom barley varietal rounds out the remaining malt bill providing subtle toffy and bread-like malt characteristics.  Delicately hopped with Hopsteiner German varietals, Tradition and Saphir, this beer is balanced not only in bitterness but with an ester profile that is derived from yeast sourced from the Weihenstephan Brewery.  This special yeast displays subtle aromatic notes of nutmeg and banana, a hallmark of German Weisse beer.  Fightin' Hokies Hefeweizen pours with a "Burnt Orange" color with pillowy white lacing and finishes with a full-bodied sweet malted wheat flavor.  Enjoy this beer any time of day with a hearty helping of German schnitzel, kartoffelsalat, and a Bavarian pretzel.
ABV 5.5%