In 1567, the brewing of wheat beer was outlawed. Duke Maximillian was able to supercede this law, however, because he was royalty. This gave the Duke a monopoly in wheat beer production. Gradually, this right to brew was extended to more and more brewers, provided that they were officially licensed to brew wheat beer. Today, wheat beer is still associated with the Bavarian region of Germany and this region contains the most highly- concentrated area of wheat beer drinkers in the world.
Wheat beer is a type of ale, because it s brewed using top- fermenting yeast.
I have seen an occasional wheat beer that was brewed as a lager, but the majority are ales. This style of beer is usually brewed without much filtering, producing a hazy appearance. Wheat beer is brewed with a mixture of wheat malt and barley malt. Hops are kept to a minimum in the brewing of wheat beer, producing a taste that is more grainy. This style is more highly- carbonated than other beers, which contributes to its popularity as a summer drink.