Summer brew: the rise of witbier

th year in business. "It has low bitterness and some malt sweetness, so it's extremely approachable," he says of the 15th Anniversary White Ale. "Then you've got the citrus, and some slight tartness – there is lots of flavour and complexity, and it's very refreshing."

As a style, witbier is the unsung hero of the beer world. It doesn't have the wow-factor associated with hop-heavy IPAs, perhaps, but in terms of elegance and delicate complexity, it's hard to beat. Made with unmalted wheat, which gives the beer its silky texture, it's fantastic for drinking with food and, as Holgate says, it's just the thing to quench your thirst.

It's also very popular, as Renn Blackman – whose brewing CV includes stints in London at Camden Town and with True South in Black Rock – could tell you. He brews a witbier called Bob Wit as part of his regular range down at the recently-opened Blackman's Brewery in Torquay, Victoria.

"We've only been open for 12 weeks and we started selling wit a month in, but it's slowly becoming the best-selling beer," he says. "It's sold really well during the good weather we've had recently. I've had people who are looking to drink wine; I've suggested this, telling them 'It's different from your average kind of beer'. It always goes down well."

Witbier's character derives from the spices used for flavouring – traditionally coriander and orange peel, but sometimes cumin, ginger or cardamom too. Holgate Brewhouse's version, however, goes a little off-piste. "We use some sour German malt to give it a bit of tartness," says Holgate, "and there's fresh whole organic grapefruit and oranges plus ground coriander seeds."

It's a beer style that allows brewers a certain amount of leeway. La Sirene, of Alphington, use local orange juice to give their wit extra zing. "It's technically one of the hardest beers to make, in our opinion, as it has many components that need to come together in a delicate and balanced way," says Costa Nikias, La Sirene's owner.

Witbier has particular significance for Holgate. "We first brewed it in 1999 when started our business," he says. "It was one of my favourite home-brew recipes during the 1990s, and I started drinking this style when visited 'head office' for a Dutch company I used to work for."

Hoegaarden, the classic Belgian witbier, is the reason the style is so popular around the world – and also, perhaps, why its reputation has suffered of late. First brewed in the 1960s by Pierre Celis, a milkman in the town of Hoegaarden, when the style had otherwise died out, it is now owned by huge multinational brewing company AB-InBev. There are frequent suggestions that the beer has been dumbed down.

In the United States, meanwhile, a witbier called Blue Moon Belgian White is hugely popular, although some drinkers avoid it because the company that make it – Blue Moon – is and always has been owned by Coors, now MillerCoors, despite its "craft-beer" packaging. All this means that witbiers have an unfairly poor reputation. "I think maybe they do have a bad rap… but that's only a gut feel," says Holgate. "After Hoegaarden won the grand champ at the Australian International Beer Awards, a large domestic producer also released one; I think this did the style a disservice."

That perception is changing, not least because witbier is a tremendous partner to a wide variety of foods, from curries to seafood via any salad you care to mention. Blackman's Bob Wit – made with coriander, lemon zest and coconut – is a no exception. "It's a really easygoing beer, it complements a lot of things," says Blackman. "It goes really well with food – particularly summery food, light-flavoured food."

Whichever way you look at it, it seems, witbier is perfect for summer.

Five witbier food matches:

Salad There's virtually no salad on earth that won't go with a wit, as long as the dressing is not too sweet.

Fish Witbier is elegant enough to partner delicate white fish and sushi.

Mexican food Cumin and coriander – such a staple of Mexican food – work beautifully with the spices in witbier.

Eggs Witbiers work perfectly with eggs; try scrambled eggs and smoked salmon for extra thrills.

Fruit salad Beer with fruit salad? Try it. The orange character of the wit makes this a winner.