Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss Beer 12Pk

Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss Beer 12Pk is a 4.7% ABV fruit wheat beer brewed in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, sold here as a 12-pack of 12 oz bottles. This expression earned a Gold Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in the Fruit and Vegetable Beer category, cementing its reputation as one of the most recognized berry-flavored wheat beers in the American craft-adjacent market.

Quick Facts: ABV: 4.7%  |  Origin: Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA  |  Style: Fruit Wheat Lager  |  Brewery: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company was founded in 1867 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, making it one of the oldest continuously operating breweries in the United States. Berry Weiss is brewed with a base of pale and wheat malts, hopped with Cluster hops, and then flavored with a blend of blackberries, elderberries, and loganberries — all indigenous to Wisconsin. The ingredient list also includes honey, natural flavors, and corn syrup (maltose) used during the brewing process; the brewery specifies it never uses high fructose corn syrup. The result is a medium-bodied weiss beer where berry character takes the lead while the wheat malt backbone keeps things balanced.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Rich berry fruit hits first — ripe blackberry dominates, followed by a softer elderberry sweetness and a subtle floral quality from the loganberry. Underneath the fruit, a gentle wheat-malt breadiness rounds out the nose.

Taste: The entry is sweet and fruit-forward, with blackberry and elderberry flavors arriving immediately on the palate. At mid-palate, a light wheat malt character emerges, providing structure and a mild bready quality that keeps the berry sweetness from becoming one-dimensional. A touch of honey and a faint hop bitterness from the Cluster hops add subtle complexity toward the peak.

Finish: The finish is clean and moderately short, with lingering berry sweetness that fades into a crisp, dry wheat note. It drinks smooth and easy, leaving little residual heaviness.

How to Drink Berry Weiss

Berry Weiss is best served cold, between 38–45°F, in a weizen glass or standard pint glass to showcase its berry aromatics. It drinks well straight from the bottle on a warm day but rewards a proper pour. For cocktail-adjacent serves, try a Berry Weiss Shandy by mixing it half-and-half with lemonade for an amplified summer refresher. A Berry Radler using grapefruit soda balances the sweetness with bitter citrus. It also works as the beer component in a Skip and Go Naked, where the berry notes add fruit complexity alongside vodka and lemonade.

Best For

• Backyard barbecues and warm-weather cookouts where a lighter, fruit-forward beer fits the occasion
• Introducing non-beer drinkers to wheat beer through an approachable, berry-flavored gateway
• Stocking a party cooler with a crowd-pleasing option that appeals to a wide range of palates
• Pairing with dessert courses at casual dinner gatherings

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Berry Weiss taste like? Berry Weiss delivers a sweet, fruit-forward profile led by blackberry and elderberry flavors, balanced by a light wheat malt backbone. It finishes clean and crisp with a smooth, easy-drinking character.

How does Berry Weiss compare to Blue Moon? Blue Moon Belgian White is a witbier brewed with Valencia orange peel and coriander, producing a citrus-and-spice profile, while Berry Weiss leans entirely into berry fruit sweetness with no spice character. Berry Weiss is slightly lower in ABV (4.7% vs. Blue Moon's 5.4%) and significantly sweeter and more fruit-driven.

Is Berry Weiss good for beginners? Berry Weiss is an excellent entry point for those new to beer, as its pronounced berry sweetness and smooth body mask much of the typical bitterness that can deter new drinkers. Its 4.7% ABV also keeps the alcohol presence mild and approachable.

Where is Berry Weiss made? Berry Weiss is brewed by the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, a brewery founded in 1867 in the heart of the Chippewa Valley. The berries used in the blend — blackberries, elderberries, and loganberries — are all indigenous to Wisconsin.

What foods pair well with Berry Weiss? Grilled chicken with a berry glaze mirrors the beer's fruit character. A spinach salad with goat cheese and fresh berries creates a complementary pairing. Vanilla cheesecake or berry cobbler works well as a dessert match. Mild, creamy cheeses like brie let the berry notes shine. Smoked turkey or ham sandwiches benefit from the beer's sweetness cutting through the smokiness.

What sizes does Berry Weiss come in? Berry Weiss is commonly available in 12-packs of 12 oz bottles, as well as 6-packs and individual 12 oz bottles or cans depending on market availability.

Is Berry Weiss worth the price? Berry Weiss positions as an accessible, everyday fruit wheat beer that competes in the value tier of flavored beers. For the price of a standard domestic 12-pack, it delivers a more distinctive flavor profile than most mass-market lagers, making it a reasonable investment for fruit beer fans.

Why Berry Weiss?

The Gold Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival validated what Leinenkugel loyalists already knew — the three-berry blend of blackberry, elderberry, and loganberry creates a fruit wheat beer with genuine depth, not just sugary novelty. The use of Wisconsin-indigenous berries ties the beer to its Chippewa Falls roots in a way few fruit beers can claim about their ingredients. At 4.7% ABV, it occupies a sessionable sweet spot that keeps the fruit character bright without veering into heaviness. Among widely distributed American fruit wheat beers, Berry Weiss remains one of the most recognizable and consistently available options in the category.