Widmer Hefeweizen ($1.40, 12 ounces) The original American wheat beer has an attractive lemon zest aroma with a hint of thyme. The malt is mild, but the bitter hops come in strong on the finish.

The controversy over the lemon slice is only one piece of confusion about hefeweizen. Let's start with the name, which most Americans (including this one, before doing her research) cannot pronounce.

Germans north of Bavaria sometimes add lemon to a specialized type of wheat (weizen) beer–the kristallweizen–to flavor it, says Marcel Consten, a Cologne-area native now living in Chicago. But ...

Lemon provides a tart lift. Hefeweizen beer provides a soft, creamy texture and hints of banana and spicy clove. This cocktail is delicate enough that any change of ingredients will make a difference.

Beer is a combination of sweet and sour acidic tastes, and the lemon dropped into a Hefeweizen is calculated to interact with the mixture. "Think of it this way," explains Otto.

555 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn; 718-499-7999 The massive Brooklyn beer garden’s shandy was inspired by the popular, delightfully pink-hued Shoefferhoeffer grapefruit hefeweizen shandy they serve on tap.

Classic Hefeweizen uses a combination of that special yeast strain and at least 50% wheat malt with a very limited amount of hops to create an easy-drinking Ale with notes of banana, clove, and lemon.

Ever since I took my first sip of a wheat-style beer in college, it’s been my brew of choice. It’s easy to toss back a few without feeling too full—or for that matter, too tipsy. Garnish with a lemon ...

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen is one of those beers. With beers made in Munich for more than 300 years, Paulaner’s version of a German-style wheat beer is what other brewers strive for.

Keep your lemon off my glass. Legend’s hefeweizen has a light body and a nice malty sweetness, accented by a thirst-quenching citrus acidity that helps make this an easy-drinking beer.

There are plenty of great examples of Hefeweizen available in Vermont. For traditional German-brewed ones, pick up the ever-affordable Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier and Ayingerz Bräu Weisse.