In honor of the ongoing Euro 2012 soccer tournament in Eastern Europe, The Daily Iowan beer of the week is the Hefe Weissbier brewed by the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan (say that three times fast).

Hefe Weissbier is a product of the world’s oldest brewery, and the Benedictine monks responsible for starting the business in 1040 have apparently spent close to 10 centuries perfecting their recipe for light summer beer.

The wheat-based brew has a strong citrus scent, highlighted with ripe banana.

It pours with a deep golden orange — almost the shade of light honey — with a thick, tight, foamy white head. Hefe Weissbier is unfiltered, and therefore is cloudy to the point of opaqueness.

The brew’s gorgeous color makes it easy to look at, and its flavor makes it easier to drink. It’s smooth with barely noticeable carbonation — just enough to make the beer feel creamy — and notes of lemon and, oddly enough, bubblegum.

So for the ultimate European summer experience, settle down and watch the best soccer teams in the world duke it out with a glass of Hefe Weissbier.

Salud.

— by Seth Roberts