Weissbier is the German wheat-beer style traditionally made with at least 50 percent malted wheat.
German wheat beers are brewed with a substantial wheat-malt proportion and are commonly fermented with yeast strains that produce fruity and spicy aromas. In the southern German tradition, the beer is often called Weißbier or Weizenbier, with the terms referring to white beer or wheat beer.
Hefeweizen is an unfiltered version containing suspended yeast, while Kristallweizen is filtered and clearer. These are related forms within the broader German wheat-beer tradition, not interchangeable names for every wheat beer worldwide.
The style is especially associated with Bavaria. Its tall glass and foamy head are familiar, but the defining point is the wheat-malt composition and characteristic fermentation profile, not simply the beer’s pale color.