On the premiere episode of One Iconic Beer with Jeff Alworth, it is an examination Allagash White. The Maine brewery’s flagship is perhaps the world’s most iconic interpretation of the classic Belgian style.
Yet what we think of witbier today is a recent reinvention of an older, wilder style of beer brewed in the village of Hoegaarden. In this episode, we’ll hear from author Stan Hieronymus, whose Brewing With Wheat offers the definitive history of the style. Hieronymus situates the witbier style in Belgian’s brewing history, and explains how it hopped the Atlantic to land in Portland, Maine.
We also hear from Rob Tod, the man who founded Allagash specifically to brew the famous style from Hoegaarden. Tod founded Allagash 31 years ago, and in that time, his Allagash White has become a beloved ale. This is the story of witbier, the story of Allagash, and our first iconic beer.
Listen to the whole conversation on the Brewer to Brewer Podcast. Download below, or on Amazon, Pocketcast, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Jeff Alworth has been writing about beer since the late-1990s. His books include the award-winning titles The Beer Bible and The Secrets of Master Brewers. His articles have been published in a wide range of publications including All About Beer, and he currently writes the “Style School” column for Craft Beer and Brewing magazine. Since 2006, he has maintained his award-winning blog, Beervana.
