Hefeweizen is the popular German wheat beer traditionally served unfiltered, leaving yeast sediment and a cloudy appearance.
The name combines the German words hefe, meaning yeast, and weizen, meaning wheat. It is a top-fermented beer traditionally associated with Bavaria, where a substantial portion of the malted barley is replaced by wheat. The yeast contributes characteristic aromas and flavors often described as banana, clove, bubble gum, or spice.
Hefeweizen is usually highly carbonated, lightly bitter, and pale to golden in color. Because it is unfiltered, the beer retains suspended yeast and wheat proteins. Drinkers often gently roll the bottle before pouring to distribute the sediment, although serving customs vary by brewery.
The main contrast is Kristallweizen, which is filtered until clear. Dunkel is a darker wheat-beer style, while Weizenbock is a stronger wheat beer made in the bock tradition. “Wheat beer” is the broad category; Hefeweizen specifically signals the traditional yeast-containing, unfiltered German style.