The Tavern - East Ferry. Excellent food in a lovely waterside setting

The Tavern - East Ferry. Excellent food in a lovely waterside setting

The stove was on and the welcome (from Sarah) was warm too when we arrived for a midweek meal at The Tavern East Ferry. There’s a line of fairly large windows here looking out over the water and the one opposite us was perhaps the largest. 

The only thing missing was the sun but no doubt that will have its days here in this picturesque setting in the backwaters of Cork Harbour. It is, by the way, just a few minutes from Midleton (take the Whitegate Road and look out for the ground-level East Ferry sign on the right between Ballinacurra and Saleen).

Cod

Had a good look at the menu - at present the offering is the same from opening until closing time. It was mid-afternoon and we were hungry enough for dinner. They had a couple of sharing plates, a Soup of the Day, a Chowder, Mushroom and Goats Cheese Bruschetta and a tempting Little Aubergine Parmigiana. 

But, being by the water, we were inclined to go for the shellfish starters.  CL  was very impressed with the Mussel A la Marinara. That was served with a top notch homemade tomato sauce with a pinch of garlic and chilli. 

Meanwhile I was very much enjoying my Prawns that came with the same superb tomato sauce. And the delicious breads that come with each of these dishes have also visited the grill!

That grill is key here, especially in the hands of Chef Cristian. I was always going to have a steak, especially after seeing their meat ageing in the cabinets by the bar. 

The meat is sourced from O’Farrell Meats in Midleton and is matured in-house on Himalayan salt blocks (for a minimum of 21 days). You may pick your steak from the cabinet or just order your rib-eye, stripling or fillet.

I choose the ribeye and wasn’t at all disappointed. On the contrary, it is perhaps one of the very best I’ve come across in recent months, tender and full of flavour and served with grilled mushroom (absolutely outstanding), house salad, chips and a choice of sauces (my pick was the peppercorn). Happy out! They also have quite a choice of burgers and a Kids Menu.

And more choices on the A La Carte: chicken, duck, lamb, pork and salads. And fish of course. The Cod dish with its Madagascar Sauce and Roasted cauliflower, some green beans too, was another to write home about, really top class, the expertly cooked fish enhanced by the slightly spicy Madagascar sauce that also added colour. Two really highly recommended dishes for you!

The dessert menu was on a board and we had a choice of four, all tempting: Warm Apple Crumble, Chocolate Fudge, Blackcurrant and Prosecco Cheesecake and Carrot Cake. Loved the crumble with its bite-sized chunks of fruit while the Blackcurrant and Prosecco certainly lifted the cheesecake out of the usual. 

No doubt the menus will change as the season gets into full swing. Then the stove will no longer glow, hopefully replaced by the sun, and you’ll have a choice of going outside to two “roofed” facilities that overlook the waters, the boats coming and going and the casual sailors coming to land as customers of the Tavern (which has a full bar).

See The Tavern website here.

And stay up to date at their Facebook page  

What beer did St. Patrick drink? Mescan Brewery is claiming our patron saint for themselves.

What beer did St. Patrick drink?

Saint Patrick had his own brewer but what did Mescan brew for him?

The current Mescan beer takes its name from the monk Mescan who was St. Patrick’s friend and personal brewer. Mescan is mentioned in that great chronicle of medieval Irish history, The Annals of the Four Masters (also sometimes referred to as The Annals of The Kingdom of Ireland), as part of the list describing Patrick's entourage. Appropriately, the Belgian-style beer is brewed on the slopes of the holy mountain Croagh Patrick, near Westport in Co. Mayo. Today’s Mescan brewers have been musing on what kind of beer Mescan the Monk might have made for Patrick all those years ago.

 

“We think it would likely have been made with oats and barley”, says Cillian O’Móráin one of Mescan’s founders, “It’s unlikely it would have been aged at all, probably being drunk within a week or two of brewing”.

 

That lack of aging is in direct contrast to the artisan beers Mescan the brewery produces which are matured for months (sometimes years) before they reach perfection and are released for sale. Mescan produce artisan Belgian-style beers brewed in small batches with craft, care and attention to detail. Mescan beers are brewed in the Belgian style, using very traditional methods, resulting in a broad range of rich and flavourful beers eminently suited to pairing with food. They are vegan friendly and 100% natural.

 

In medieval Europe it was common for monks to make and drink beer as an aid to sustenance during periods of fasting and prayer. Perhaps Mescan's brew helped the saint during his Lenten devotions on the holy mountain.

 

The stylised Mescan logo is a simple, creative representation of the mountain and the curved swirl represents the water flowing from the holy mountain, which is used to make all the Mescan beers, via a spring well beside the brewery. The ‘Lovers Warning’ on every bottle reads ‘Our beer adds to the desire but may detract from the performance’.

 

Mescan Beers are currently available in off licences around the country. They are also available directly through the website www.mescanbrewery.com.

press release

Clonakilty Distillery to donate €10 from gin and whiskey sales to Ukrainian Red Cross Appeal

Clonakilty Distillery to donate €10 from gin and whiskey sales to Ukrainian Red Cross Appeal

 

Clonakilty Distillery have announced that they will donate €10 from every bottle of gin and whiskey sold both online and in their physical store to the Ukrainian Red Cross Appeal from now until the close of March.

The company made the decision to support the Ukrainian Red Cross Appeal as they were keen to play their own part in raising funds for the charity appeal.

Clonakilty Distillery founder Michael Scully said of the decision:

“We stand behind the people of Ukraine in solidarity and we wanted to make our own contribution to supporting this appeal. So with that, for the remainder of March we will be donating €10 from each bottle of Minke Gin or any of our whiskey range sold either online or in our physical store in Clonakilty to the Ukrainian Red Cross appeal and will publish the funds raised through our social channels at the close of March.”

press release

Brunch at the Bakers Table in Lismore. And a walk on the Vee. Long weekend sorted.

Brunch at Lismore's Bakers Table. 

And a walk on the Vee. Long weekend sorted.

Brioche and Almond

A super forecast for the first Sunday in March - cold but sunny with clear blue skies - and good reports of a delicious brunch at the Bakers Table in Lismore once again tempted us across the county bounds into Waterford. That brunch in a very popular spot was every bit as good as anticipated and afterwards we head up to the Vee in the Knockmealdown mountains for a walk to Bay Lough, a Corrie lake that was formed in the Ice Age. Quite a day!

Chef John Mount opened up in Main Street, Lismore, just over a year ago. He does brunch Friday to Sunday and evening meals Friday to Saturday. Quite a takeout business there also with ramblers and families and couples calling in for coffee or his fabulous bread or both. Or even more from the deli that shares the space with the front dining room. A more impressive room just behind is where you’ll enjoy your supper or dinner.

Eggs Benny

French toast

Brunch has become very well established in Ireland over the past decade or so. And on first glance the menu in Lismore is along the usual lines. Like many others, it is based largely on eggs, but the experienced chef has a few of his own variables.

Croissants feature in a few of these and indeed are the base for at least three of the egg dishes. One of the few non-egg  and non-croissant offerings is the Garlic Mushrooms (mixed wild mushrooms pan-fried ion garlic & thyme oil, watercress on toasted sourdough. No eggs either on the Croque Monsieur; no Croque Madame on offer, though I’d bet they’d add an egg or two on request! Staff are excellent here, friendly and helpful.

One of our dishes was the Croissant French Toast which was a crispy croissant cooked in a vanilla batter (more eggs), toasted tin cinnamon sugar and served with a berry compôte and syrup. An excellent plateful for just seven euro.

We paid a bit more for the other dish, the Eggs Benedict (10.50). Eggs Royale and Eggs Florentine were also available. Billed as the Classic Eggs Benedict, ours came on toasted croissant with grilled streaky bacon and hollandaise sauce. Another superb dish.

Raspberry Jam and Almond Bakewell

Rows of tempting pastries had been spotted on the counter and we were determined to have a taste or two. We passed on the creamy ones in the chilled cabinet and picked the Brioche and Almond and the Raspberry Jam and Almond Bakewell (with cream). They went down really well with a big pot of Barry’s Tea (coffee is by Badger & Dodo, they support local here).

The Bakers Table is open three days a week- Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday and Saturday – serving Brunch from 11 am ’til 3 pm, and then open again at 5 pm for Supper Club!

Sunday – Open at 9 am for Brunch; no evening opening.

It had been a few years since we were on The Vee. It seems the name means different things to different people. If you are a budding cyclist or rally driver, you’ll be thinking of the devilish hairpin twist in the road up there while others will be talking about the gap in the Knockmealdown mountains.

Our “target” was Bay Lough, a Corrie lake formed by glaciers during the Ice Age. If you are coming from Lismore, as we were, and as you approach the vee (the gap in the mountains) you will see a fairly large car park on your left. 

Bay Lough

A firm stony path takes you down to the lake. I didn't time it but I'd say 15 minutes will see you by the water. The path goes on at the near side and up to a higher point diagonally opposite to where you first came in. It is up to yourself how far to walk - just remember you have to come back. It is well worth the stroll down, especially on a day like that Sunday, rather than just looking down on it from the road above.

More on that day’s visit to Bay Lough (including photos) here.

Bay Lough in The Vee in the beautiful Knockmealdown Mountains

 Bay Lough in The Vee in the beautiful Knockmealdown Mountains

Bay Lough is a Corrie lake formed by glaciers during the Ice Age.
More details below on photo of sign by the lake. If you are coming from Lismore, as we were after brunch at The Bakers Table (recommended) and as you approach the vee (the gap in the mountains) you will see a fairly large car park on your left. A firm stony path takes you down to the lake. I didn't time it but I'd say 15 minutes will see you by the water. The path goes on at the near side and up to a higher point diagonally opposite to where you first came in. It is up to yourself how far to walk - just remember you have to come back. We continued the drive, came down to Clogheen, then through Ballyporeen and into Mitchelstown and onto Cork. We used the R639 but obviously the motorway is also available and that bit faster and the toll of €1.90 is hardly prohibitive. And, of course, you may also do this trip in reverse, the way I've done mostly over the years. Last Sunday (March 6th 2022) was one of the best days up there in the mountains.
Before or after, why not call to Lismore's Bakers Table for Brunch? Details here.

Continue your walk along the path on the right.

Getting close

Amazing day. Walk along the path to the right and it will take to the rise
on the left.

The view on the way down

A short video of Bay Lough

Views from the Vee area, mainly out over the Golden Vale. The Vee, it seems, can refer to the gap in the mountains and to the hairpin bend on the road here.

Taken at the start of the walk down to the lake

Took this photo, well before we got to the car park on the left.

Easter Ideas: Cork International Hotel launches Easter Extravaganza Family Package with Bunny Bowling and Egg Hunts

press releases

Cork International Hotel launches Easter Extravaganza Family Package with Bunny Bowling and Egg Hunts

Hotel has teamed up with local attraction to welcome back families this Easter

The Cork International Hotel has joined forces with Leahy’s Open Farm in Cork as they launch their special Easter Family package. The hotel wants to celebrate in style this Easter as people can return to hotels for the first time in two years. The hotels’ Family Concierge team has compiled an exciting schedule of activities for Easter from Easter bunny visits, to Easter egg hunts and bunny bowling to Easter crafts.

As they prepare to welcome back families to the Cork International Hotel is offering a two nights stay in their spacious family rooms or interconnecting rooms, breakfast and an Early Bird Dinner for a family on one evening with a dedicated kids menu. Also included in the package is a delicious Family Easter chocolate themed afternoon tea on one afternoon, featuring handmade sweet and savoury treats by the hotel’s pastry chef Olga. The offer includes a family pass to Leahy’s Open Farm. 

Leahy’s Open Farm is a family favourite in Cork. It is a fantastic working farm and is suitable for children of all ages and abilities. 

General Manager at the Cork International Hotel, Carmel Lonergan said: “After two years of celebrating Easter at home, we have a great offer for families looking to come and stay at the Cork International Hotel and start a new family Easter tradition. Our Family Concierge team has created a truly unique offer, with treats for the entire family to enjoy. As an ASD aware hotel, we also cater for families with extra needs, all you have to do is ask our team, or wear your sunflower lanyard and a member of our team would be happy to help or provide you with our sensory box.

“We are thrilled to have teamed up with Leahy’s Open Farm where children can experience the magic of Easter by taking part in petting times at the Jolly Barn and they can even pet real life fluffy bunny rabbits. There is also a chocolate and ice-cream factory and shop onsite where children can see how the team make their own chocolates, lollipops and bars along with a massive chocolate fountain with Strawberries and marshmallows.”

Prices start at €209 per night for a family of four. Details here.

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Denis and Kate get bonus when Port barrels arrive. Enjoyable Barrel-Aged Kinsale Mead Tasting last week.

Denis and Kate get bonus when Port barrels arrive.

Enjoyable Barrel-Aged Kinsale Mead Tasting last week.

Denis and Kate of Kinsale Mead get a bonus when the Port barrels arrive.

During last week’s very enjoyable Barrel-Aged Mead Tasting, Kate and Denis (owners of Kinsale Mead) told us that they quite look forward to the arrival of Port barrels (known as Pipes), barrels that they use to finish ageing their Atlantic Dry Mead. Barrels are specified to be delivered “wet” and the exporters leave enough port in the barrel to fill three or four bottles! A nice little bonus indeed.

They also import other types of barrels. They prefer those with medium toast: “works best for us”. “They come after their second use, still a good bit of oak in them and we use them twice again. By the way, we lose about 8% via evaporation and leakage. Perhaps someone else in the drinks business might like to put something else into our used barrels to see what will happen!”

They founded the Kinsale Mead Company in 2016. Denis told us it is a bit like a winery in so far as equipment is concerned, expect they don’t need a pressing machine. They tell us that honey is the all-important ingredient and they get it mostly from Spain as there is not enough produced in Ireland. Denis revealed that they keep trying here and have sourced a summer honey from West Cork and the mead produced from that is maturing at present.

The tasting started surprisingly enough with the red. Of course, the Wild Red Mead was the only non-barrel aged one on the night. 

Mead #1: Wild Red Mead 12% ABV. 

It is a gorgeous melomel mead fermented off-dry with Irish blackcurrants, dark cherries and pure honey. An amazingly enticing drink with a beautiful, rich colour. It is delicious served at room temperature on its own or with food. All the meads are used in cocktails; the one below is just one example.

The Wexford blackcurrants, from the Jeffares farm, are beautifully balanced with the dark cherries, tempered over the hint of honey and matured to a silky smooth finish. Serve with roast duck, barbecue ribs or sausages and rich, tomato-y Italian dishes. Lovely with cheeseboards or good quality chocolate. A popular choice with wine drinkers who prefer a smoother style. Fantastic in a mulled mead for winter days.

Melomel Fruit Meads were Ireland’s medieval red wines made from native wild berries and raw honey and now created anew at Kinsale Mead Co’s meadery.

The judges really like the Wild Red Mead and it has been awarded Gold at the Blas na hEireann – Irish Food Awards, Gold at the Free From Food Awards.

Mead #2: Wild Red Mead - Merlot Barrel Aged 12%. 

Again, serve at room temperature. A gorgeous 3 year-old berry mead fermented off dry and silky smooth and matured for the last 12 months in Merlot oak wine barrels to add intriguing structure and depth.

"The barrels come from two of the so-called wild geese wineries in Bordeaux. We plan at some point to take a bottle over to Bordeaux and show them what mead tastes like from their barrels. The barrels were sourced from vineyards with Irish connections, known around Kinsale in particular (there is a wine museum here), as the Wine Geese term may have originated here. The label for this series, on the bottle above, is inspired by the Wine Geese."

Pairings:

• Pate on thin toasted triangles (can use vegan pate eg mushroom)
• Prosciutto or Parma ham
• Artisan mini sausages (can use vegan sausages)

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Their Atlantic Dry Mead is a delicious, off-dry traditional style mead, beautifully crisp with a lovely citrus honey flavour. Best enjoyed chilled or over ice as a pre-dinner drink. And it was used in the next two drinks to be tasted.

Mead #3 Atlantic Dry Mead - White Port Barrel Aged 12% ABV. 

An alluring 3-year-old traditional mead fermented from orange blossom honey from Valencia, finished crisp and honeyed, matured for the last 12 months in a oak port barrel. Enjoy this delectable, dry mead lightly chilled.

Subtle with delicate citrus on the nose, spicy on the palate, lots of honey and amaretto with oak, smooth, stone fruit character and nuttiness resonating on the palate.

Must admit I like my dry ports and so I ‘bonded” with this one immediately. Still by the finish, the Sauternes below was also becoming a favourite. Indeed, I liked all four and wouldn’t want to leave any behind if I had the choice.

Pair with:

• Smoked Salmon crostini 
• Mackerel or mushroom pate 
• Sushi or sashimi 
• Vanilla fairy cakes
• Goatsbridge Smoked Trout
• Poached Scallops

Atlantic Dry Mead - Sauternes Barrel Aged 12% ABV . 

A gorgeous 3-year-old traditional mead fermented from orange blossom honey, finished dry, crisp and honeyed, matured for the last 12 months in an oak wine barrel which had been previously used to make the famous sweet wine of Bordeaux. Barrels can range from €60 or 70 to €500 and the Sauternes barrels are not the cheapest!

The mead soaks through the barrel charring and into the French oak bringing back vanilla and caramel flavours as well as the flavours of the Sauternes that was in there before. Floral and almond aromas and a bright dry finish. 

Pairings:

• Lemon Tart 
• Salted nut selection
• Cheese such as Durrus or Gubbeen and crackers
• Olives

So there you are. Quite an eye-opening tasting indeed and one that means I’ll be looking more keenly when I see Kinsale Mead on a restaurant list, or in a cocktail, or indeed in an off-licence in the future. Big thanks to the hard-working Kate and Denis for the invite to join in on Zoom. 

BLACKS BREWERY & DISTILLERY TO MARK 10 YEAR MILESTONE WITH €8M EXPANSION

press release

BLACKS BREWERY & DISTILLERY TO MARK 10-YEAR MILESTONE WITH €8M EXPANSION

-Planning Permission Has Been Granted For New 20,000 sq. ft Brewery, Distillery & Visitor Experience–

It was cheers all around as Blacks Brewery & Distillery was granted planning permission for a new state-of-the-art €8m complex overlooking Kinsale Harbour. This major expansion will create 15 new jobs initially, with more to follow as the development matures.

Comprised of a brewery, distillery and visitor experience with bar, this new complex will be built on the brown field site which was previously home to an old t-shirt factory. Prior to t-shirts, TVRs (high-end sports cars) were built here and before that it was a boat yard. Blacks are excited to add to this rich history, as they open the doors of this new venture in 2023, which will mark their 10-year anniversary.

Blacks Brewery & Distillery are trailblazers of the drinks industry, continuing to bring exciting innovations and Irish firsts to the market. Founded in 2013 by dynamic husband and wife duo, Sam and Maudeline Black, they took their place in history as the first co-located brewery & distillery in Ireland. 

Founders Maudeline and Sam Black

With one simple mission, to escape the mundane of the mass market, Blacks produce craft beers with passion, personality and lots of hops, while also pushing the boundaries of flavour when crafting their range of award-winning spirits, including Ireland’s first-ever spiced rum. Last year they also released a world’s first for Irish Whiskey with an 18-Year-Old Single Malt with Irish Rum Cask Finish being added to their already impressive portfolio.

Speaking in relation to this planning approval, founder Sam Black commented, “I cannot begin to explain the joy which the entire team here at Blacks are feeling right now. This expansion has been in the works for a number of years, and to finally get the green light to start building our new and improved home is amazing. We have been living the dream since 2013, and are so excited to let others experience this passion. 

Visitors will get a front row pass to our production process, getting to enjoy the picturesque sights over the Bandon River, but also the even more impressive views through the windows of our copper stills at our liquid gold and malt mashing in the production hall of the Brewery & Distillery.

“Not only will this new facility allow us to bring a wider variety of beers and spirits to our loyal Blacks consumers, but this complex is also a fantastic boost for our local economy here in Kinsale, both in terms of employment, but also tourism which has taken a hit over the last two years as a result of Covid-19.”

As members of Bord Bia’s Origin Green, sustainability is a core value of Blacks. Over the last four years Blacks have exceeded their sustainability goals for waste reduction, recycling and for the lowering of their power consumption. In this new development the team are committed to continuing their investment and drive in energy efficient technologies. An oak tree planting programme is currently being set-up that will see new oak trees being planted for every case of whiskey sold.

For investors who have always been attracted to the drinks industry, this new development comes with some exciting EIIS investment opportunities. These packages are being managed by Westboro Capital, and interested parties can request information via the Blacks Brewery & Distillery website - www.blackswhiskey.com/invest

For more information on Blacks new complex, investment opportunities, or their award-winning spirits and craft beer offers and exclusives, visit www.blacksbrewery.com or follow Blacks online at Facebook/BlacksOfKinsale, Instagram/blacksbrewery and Twitter @BlacksBrewery

A Quart of Ale± #95. On the craft journey with a couple of top IPAs by Boundary.

A Quart of Ale± #95

On the craft journey with Boundary, Whitefield

Boundary Inefficient Knowledge IPA 6%, 440 ml can Bradleys

This re-release by the Belfast Brewery, a cooperative owned by its members, tastes they claim, “just as banging as first time out”. Got a whiff of those hops as soon as I pulled the tab. Colour is a murky looking lemon. Those forward aromas give up citrus, mango and passionfruit and a touch of pine.

The head has vanished by the time I finished typing that first paragraph but the flavours are just waiting for the ambush which is carried out with some energy by the “banging” flavours of the more exotic fruit led by the mango and pomegranate. And it is the same combo of fruit right to the very satisfactory finalé, a finish defined by a firm note of bitterness but not at all a strident one. One of the better IPAs around these parts for sure.

It is dry hopped with 16 g/l of Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Simcoe. Nelson Sauvin is a variety from New Zealand noted for its refined Sauvignon Blanc character  (from which its gets its name) and it is becoming very popular with brewers.

Inefficient Knowledge. A strange name, not that strange names are unusual in beer. Well a little knowledge is a dangerous thing but there’s nothing insufficient about Boundary’s brewing knowledge and nothing inefficient about how they’ve applied it here.

Boundary Lounge Capacity IPA 6%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Just like the Inefficient Knowledge, the hops just cannot wait to show off, doing their aromatic stuff the second you pull that tab. The head seems too go even quicker than the other one though but you can see the murky lemon coloured liquid is more or less crammed with bubbles.

With two US hops, Amarillo and Citra, used here, you can expect citrus and mango and more and that is what shows in both aromas and flavours and they are not at all shy, going all out to deliver a tasty fruity delight of an IPA. Another very satisfactory outcome from the Belfast Brewery, though if I had to pick one, I’d give a slight edge to more complete Inefficient Knowledge.

Boundary is a cooperative owned by its members. While sipping, be sure and check out the artwork on the can by John Robinson.

This IPA has been dry hopped with 16 g/l of Amarillo and Citra.

Boundary Excellent GIF Work Imperial Stout with Tonka Beans 10%, 440 ml can Bradleys

This Boundary stout, a collaboration with Beer Hut Brewing, is a black one (you guessed?). The tan head gets out, fast! Tonka beans (Masterchef followers will know of them) are the rather exotic ingredient. It is the aromatic seed of a large tree from the Amazon rainforest.

Boundary say: “We’ve been wanting to brew with Tonka for some time.” I picked this can up on the strength of their excellent Inefficient Knowledge and Lounge Capacity IPAs but it turned to be, for me, an overly-sweet letdown.  

Just as well I’d a can of the superbly balanced Eight Degrees Devil’s Ladder (11.5% abv) on standby. Previous review here. 

• Much more on the bean in this BBC Future article here.  

Whitefield The Viscount Weizenbock 7.5%, 500 ml bottle Bradleys

Tipperary brewery Whitefield said The Viscount was “our drink of choice for Christmas Eve. A Weizenbock made with 30% sake rice.”

The German-style Weizenbock is a wheat version of a German-style bock, or a bigger and beefier dunkelweizen. They usually fall within 7-9% abv so the Templemore beer gets in. Bitterness normally is 20-35 IBU but there’s no IBU on the Tipp bottle or on the website. Indeed, there’s not a mention of this beer on the site.

Not too sure that any German producer uses or would use sake rice in a Weizenbock. So why did Whitefield do so? “Strong white beers can be overpowering but we use sake rice to add lightness and floral tones to bring about a wonderful balance. Fruity and strong, balanced,” they say.

It pours a cloudy (unfiltered) orange with a vigorous soft white head. There’s strong aromas, especially bananas. And that follows through to the palate as a sweetish element. This kind of wheat beer (including its less alcoholic cousin Weissbier) is ideal in the summer and also versatile at the table "pairing well with everything from pizza to pork, salad to seafood” according to the Beer Bible.

So did the sake rice work? Looks like it did as The Viscount has no noticeable warming alcohol sensation. The “sub-styles” of Weissbiers are Hefeweizen (cloudy orange, the original); Kristallweizen (filtered and clear), Dunkelweizen  (dark, more toasty), Weizenbock (dark, stronger), Rauchweizen (made with smoked malt, but rare).