Best Witbiers: 8 White Ales Ranked, From Belgian Classics to Low-Cal

The best witbier is Allagash White, the hazy, spiced Belgian-style wheat beer from Portland, Maine that is about as good as the style gets outside Belgium. That is my verdict after buying and tasting the major witbiers and white ales side by side, every one out of my own pocket, and scoring each on aroma, balance, body and drinkability.

I am Dan, and beer is my life. I have been an active homebrewer for over 10 years and have tasted breweries all over the world. This guide is built from my own tasting notes, with honest scores and a full review behind every pick. You can read more about me or see everything I have reviewed on my author page.

Below is the best white ale for every taste, from the Belgian originals through the citrusy American takes to a genuinely good low-calorie option. A quick note on the family tree: a witbier is the classic Belgian spiced wheat beer, brewed with coriander and orange peel, while an American wheat ale like Bell’s Oberon skips the spices and leans on its yeast. I have ranked them together here because that is how people shop for them.

The Best Witbiers, Ranked

Here is the short version, ranked by how they actually taste. Full reviews are linked under each pick.

Rank	Beer	Style	ABV	Calories	Our score
1	Allagash White	Belgian-style witbier	5.2%	170	4.7/5
2	Hoegaarden	Belgian witbier	4.9%	150	4.5/5
3	Ommegang Witte	Belgian-style white ale	5.2%	150	4.4/5
4	Bell’s Oberon	American wheat ale	5.8%	187	4.3/5
5	Avery White Rascal	Belgian-style white ale	5.6%	150	4.2/5
6	Blue Moon Belgian White	Belgian-style wheat ale	5.4%	168	4.0/5
7	Shock Top	Belgian-style wheat ale	5.2%	167	3.6/5
8	Blue Moon LightSky	Light citrus wheat ale	4.0%	95	3.4/5

The Best Witbiers at a Glance

Swipe through the top picks and tap any card to jump straight to the full write-up.

Best Witbier Overall: Allagash White

Allagash White is the beer that proved America could brew a world-class witbier. The balance of soft wheat, fresh citrus and gentle coriander spice is close to flawless, and the unfiltered texture sets it apart from every supermarket wit.

Belgian-style witbier, 5.2% ABV, around 170 calories. Hazy, citrusy and spiced, and about as good as the style gets outside Belgium.

Serve it right: A Belgian white ale suits a stemmed tulip glass that funnels the citrus-and-spice aroma up to the nose. This LAV set is made in Europe.

• Budget pick: Blue Moon Belgian White
• Also worth trying: Ommegang Witte

Pairing it with food? Try our beer and food pairing guide. More like this in our Hoegaarden review.

Best Classic Belgian Witbier: Hoegaarden

Hoegaarden is the beer that saved the style. It is the direct descendant of the recipe Pierre Celis revived in the 1960s, and it is still the soft, citrusy, lightly spiced reference point every other white ale is measured against.

Belgian witbier, 4.9% ABV, around 150 calories. The original recipe that revived the whole style, still soft, spiced and hugely drinkable.

Serve it right: A Belgian white ale suits a stemmed tulip glass that funnels the citrus-and-spice aroma up to the nose. This LAV set is made in Europe.

• Also worth trying: Allagash White

Pairing it with food? Try our beer and food pairing guide. More like this in our Allagash White review.

Best American Wheat Ale: Bell’s Oberon

Not a spiced witbier but a cult American wheat ale, Oberon earns its spot on character alone. Its fruity, peppery house yeast gives it a signature Belgian wits cannot match, and the fuller body makes it satisfying as well as refreshing. It is a summer seasonal, so grab it while it is on.

American wheat ale, 5.8% ABV, 187 calories. A fruity, spicy summer seasonal with a cult following.

Serve it right: A wheat beer shows best in a tall, curvy weizen glass that gives the big head room to form. This Libbey set is a best-reviewed classic.

• Also worth trying: Avery White Rascal

Pairing it with food? Try our beer and food pairing guide. More like this in our Ommegang Witte review.

Best Witbier for Beginners: Blue Moon Belgian White

Blue Moon is the beer that turned millions of lager drinkers on to wheat beer, and it still earns its place. It is smooth, sweet and orange-forward, a touch less crisp than the authentic wits but hugely easy to drink and available almost everywhere.

Belgian-style wheat ale, 5.4% ABV, 168 calories. Smooth, sweet and orange-forward, the wit that got millions into the style.

Serve it right: A simple, sturdy pint glass with a slice of orange on the rim is all this one needs, and this set is a best-reviewed everyday option.

• Lower-calorie option: Blue Moon LightSky
• Also worth trying: Shock Top

Pairing it with food? Try our beer and food pairing guide. More like this in our Allagash White review.

Best Low-Calorie White Ale: Blue Moon LightSky

If you want the citrus lift of a wheat beer for a fraction of the calories, LightSky is the pick. At 4.0% ABV, 95 calories and 3.6g of carbs it is genuinely light, and the real tangerine peel gives it far more flavour than a plain light lager.

Light citrus wheat ale, 4.0% ABV, 95 calories, 3.6g carbs. A genuinely light beer with real tangerine lift.

Serve it right: That tall can pours beautifully into a can-shaped glass, and this set is a best-seller.

• Also worth trying: Blue Moon Belgian White

Pairing it with food? Try our beer and food pairing guide. More like this in our best light beer guide.

Explore More Beer Guides

Want to go wider? These guides cover the rest of the beer world:

• Best beers (all our guides)
• Best light beer
• Best lager beers
• Best pale lager

Witbier FAQs

What is a witbier?

A witbier, or white ale, is a Belgian style of unfiltered wheat beer traditionally spiced with coriander and dried orange peel. It is pale, hazy and refreshing, with low bitterness and a soft, citrusy character. The style was revived by Pierre Celis in the village of Hoegaarden after it had nearly died out.

What is the difference between a witbier and a wheat beer?

Witbier is a specific Belgian style of wheat beer that is spiced with coriander and orange peel. Wheat beer is the broader family, which also includes German hefeweizens and American wheat ales like Bell’s Oberon that use no added spices and get their character from yeast and grain instead.

Why are some witbiers served with an orange?

The orange slice, most associated with Blue Moon, lifts the beer’s citrus aroma and cuts a little of its sweetness. It suits the sweeter, orange-forward wits, though a well-made, drier witbier like Allagash White or Hoegaarden is lovely on its own.

Are witbiers gluten free?

No. Witbiers are brewed from wheat and barley, so they contain gluten. If you need a gluten-free beer, look for a dedicated gluten-free brand rather than a wheat-based white ale.

How We Test and Score

Every beer here was bought with my own money and tasted properly, not skimmed from a spec sheet. I score each on aroma, balance, body, drinkability and how well it does the job it is built for. Simple beers are not marked down for being simple, but the ones with real character and balance score higher. You can see every score on the individual beer reviews.