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The Question

Why should I not drop the waiter-provided orange slice into my wheat beer?

The Answer

Because you're not a cheesy North American beer newbie, you're a sophisticated Belgian!

I don't know how the orange slice became the de rigueur garnish in North America. It's seen as déclassé by many wheat-beer aficionados in Belgium and Germany, where wit and weizen (or weissbier), the brew's respective names in those countries, is a cherished summer quaff. Good wheat beer, which is often flavoured during brewing with orange peel and spices, particularly in the Belgian style, needs no support from extraneous ingredients. Adding a slice of orange will upset the balance and prematurely disperse the brew's foamy head. If you really love the taste of citrus and don't take beer too seriously, order a Corona and enjoy the refreshing zest of the mandatory lime wedge.

E-mail your wine and spirits questions to Beppi Crosariol. Look for answers to select questions to appear in the Wine & Spirits newsletter and on The Globe and Mail website.

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