Malt aroma & flavor
Low to medium-low
All Origin Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ales
Fruit Wheat Beer
Mixed / specialty · Generally straw to light amber and often influenced by the color of added fruit.
What to expect
Malt character: Low to medium-low. Hop character: Low to medium.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
2–10, or color of fruit
2-10, or color of fruit. Fruit can change hue; the scale illustrates only numeric SRM.
Pale / strawBlack
Generally straw to light amber and often influenced by the color of added fruit. · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color rangeAlcohol · ABV
2.5–12.0%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
10–35
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 49 · PDF page 58. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Low to medium
Perceived bitterness
Low to medium
Body & mouthfeel
Low to medium
Clarity
Chill haze is acceptable. These beers may be served with or without yeast. When served with yeast, appearance is hazy to very cloudy.
Color
Generally straw to light amber and often influenced by the color of added fruit.
Fermentation characteristics
These beers can be fermented with either ale or lager yeast depending on the underlying wheat beer style. Low fruity esters are typical. Diacetyl should not be present. In versions served with yeast, yeasty aroma and flavor should be low to medium.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
The grist should include at least 30 percent malted wheat. Fruit or fruit extracts contribute aroma and flavor expressing true fruit complexity. Versions served with yeast should demonstrate a full yeasty mouthfeel. Fruited examples of wheat beer styles that are not commonly brewed with fruit and do not exhibit attributes of wood-aging should be categorized as Fruit Wheat Beers. These could include fruited versions of various wheat beer styles of European origin such as Weizens, Adambier or Grodziskie. Fruited wheat beers that exhibit sourness fall within various fruited sour beer categories. Such beers could deviate from parameters shown for those styles but should be suggestive of the underlying classic beer style with fruit added. Fruited versions of Berliner Weisse or Contemporary Gose fall within those categories as they are commonly brewed with fruit. Within the framework of these guidelines, coconut is defined as a vegetable, and a beer containing coconut is categorized as Field Beer. Likewise beers containing chili peppers are categorized as Chili Beer. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as fruit(s) used or processing which influence perceived sensory outcomes.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.030-1.110 (7.6-25.9 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.006-1.030 (1.5-7.6 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 2.0%-9.5% (2.5%-12.0%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 10-35 • Color SRM (EBC) 2-10, or color of fruit (4-20, or color of fruit EBC)