In Defense of Woodruff Syrup

John Holl makes the case for its return.

The current popularity of Berliner weisse has brought an endless supply of flavors to the low-abv, tart wheat ale. But before there was dragon fruit, mango, or guava, there was woodruff syrup, the sweet green liquid that would lightly color the pale-colored beer. In this era of progress, woodruff seems to have been left behind. Our senior editor, John Holl, makes the case for its return.

THE WORD CAME DOWN

in early October 2014 that the Nodding Head brewpub in Philadelphia would close by month’s end. This was back during a simpler time in beer when closures weren’t all that common, so news of the closure bounced far and wide. Among the emails and socialmedia laments was a common refrain: Not only were we losing a beloved brewery but also its flagship beer, Ich Bin Ein Berliner Weisse, which was first served in 2000 and is largely credited with introducing the then-obscure style to curious American drinkers.

The following day I was on a train to the City of Brotherly Love for one last (okay, three last) taste of the slightly acidic, tart wheat ale. Each time, I asked for a drop or two of woodruff syrup.

Woodruff is an herb, also known as master of the woods (Waldmeister in German) or sweet woodruff. It has a sweet, hay-like, earthy aroma and taste, and the littlest bit helps to cut the acidity associated with the Berliner-weisse style. I was first introduced to it at Nodding Head in 2001, and as more breweries around the country started offering Berliner weisse, most would offer the syrup as well (along with raspberry syrup).

By 2014 however, when the Berlinerweisse style had taken a sharp turn and breweries such as J. Wakefield Brewing (Miami, Florida) started making “Florida-weisse” or fruited Berliners, the syrups were left behind, a sticky memory of a beer era quickly disappearing in the rearview mirror.

Woodruff, as an ingredient, is also harder to come across than raspberry. It’s a German herb, harvested in the summer. There are few breweries that go through the trouble of making it themselves. The ones that do, however, deserve a standing ovation.