König Ludwig

Few brewing families can claim a history quite like the Wittelsbachs. The Bavarian royal dynasty held a weissbier brewing monopoly from 1602, forcing innkeepers across their realm to serve crown-brewed wheat ale. That monopoly lasted nearly two centuries. Today, Prince Luitpold, great-grandson of Bavaria's last king, runs König Ludwig Schlossbrauerei from Schloss Kaltenberg, a castle outside Munich that has been in the family since the 13th century.

The brewery's flagship is König Ludwig Weissbier, a Hefe-Weizen brewed to a traditional recipe under the Reinheitsgebot. The style is classic Bavarian wheat beer: naturally cloudy, bottle-conditioned, with the banana and clove character that comes from the particular yeast strains used in this part of Germany. The beer is part of a broader portfolio that includes a Dunkel (dark wheat) and a Hell (pale lager).

The alcohol-free version, König Ludwig Weissbier Alkoholfrei, is dealcoholised to bring it to 0.5% ABV while preserving the cloudy appearance and the soft fruit aromatics. Wheat beer is one of the more forgiving styles in alcohol-free brewing: the yeast-forward character, foam, and natural haziness all hold up relatively well through the dealcoholisation process, and the Kaltenberg version is generally well-regarded among AF wheat beer options.

Available in the UK through specialist importers and alcohol-free retailers, usually in 500ml bottles in line with the traditional German wheat beer format.

The Collection

Weissbier Alkoholfrei