Banana Juice And Beer Is An Unlikely German Drink Combination

In many parts of Africa, beer is made from bananas, and a specific type of banana is cultivated for this purpose. But in Germany, banana juice and beer are intentionally poured together to drink, and the resulting mixture offers just enough sugar to perk up a wheat beer without being offensively sweet. Sliced bananas placed onto a perfectly toasted piece of bread is a deliciously reliable snack combination, and well-made banana bread is one of those recipes that can satiate even the fiercest of cravings in an instant. Why not combine the comforting taste of grains with the sweet taste of bananas in beverage form? 

Germans seem to like adding ingredients to beer. As proof, take the Berliner Weisse, a sour white beer mixed with colorful syrups, lemony radler beers, and cola-enhanced pints known as diesel. Of course, they've also managed to come up with a way to enjoy the flavor combination of bananas and beer. The drink, known as bananenweizen, is made with wheat beer and banana juice.

Preparing a banana-enhanced beer for yourself is as simple as topping off a half or nearly-full pint glass of beer with banana juice. You can taste your drink once it is poured and adjust the ratio of ingredients to suit your palate for sweeter or more refreshing gulps. The traditional recipe for making a bananenweizen includes a German wheat beer. The taste of this particular family of beers can present a different flavor profile than standard lagers, but once you have your hand on the right kind of brew, consider yourself ready to go. Many German hefeweizen already present characteristics of fruitiness, so the stage is set for your banana-enhanced beer cocktail.

Alternatively, you can experiment with punchier bananenweizen recipes by adding De Kuyper Creme de Bananes, a banana liqueur that can serve as a worthy substitute if you can't find banana juice at any of the markets near your home. While the color of the combined ingredients in a pint may be off-putting to some beer purists, when sampled with an open mind, even the most discerning palates may be met with surprise. Bananenweizen is the kind of drink that could make a lovely mid-day summer sipper or command a respectable appearance at the weekend's brunch table.