By now you've heard that Belgian brewing pioneer Pierre Celis left us this weekend at the age of 86.
Celis was a true brewing legend, he single-handedly revived the style witbier in the 1960s when he was a brewer at Hoegaarden. He later moved to Texas to start a microbrewery with his daughter Christine, which was sold to Miller in 1995. He was still brewing, making three cave-aged beers under the label Grottenbier at St. Bernardus in Belgium. (Brookston Beer Bulletin)
Paris and I went to Nebraska Brewing Company on Sunday to raise a glass of Infinite Wit in Pierre's honor. It's an excellent Witbier: clean, sweet, spicy, and refreshing.
Not many people can rightly be credited with reviving a dead style or inventing a new one; NBC's Infinite Wit is just one of hundreds of beers that simply would not exist if it weren't for Pierre Celis. Here's a very incomplete list of some others:
't IJ IJwit
(512) Wit
2 Brothers Trickster Wit Bier
3 Horne Horns Wit
3 Horne Kaats Witje
3 Ravens White
Abbaye Des Rocs Blanche des Honnelles
Abbaye Des Rocs Blanche Double
Abita Wit
Aksarben Witbier
Alaskan White
Ale Industries Orange Shush
Alken-Maes Brugs
Allagash White
Almond '22 Blanche de Valerie
Anheuser-Busch Shock Top Belgian White
Archibald La Joufflue
Argus Horse Whip White Belgian Ale
Asheville Christmas Jam White Ale
Atlas Tempest Wheat Beer
Avery White Rascal
Aviator White Bat Belgian Wit Beer
Baird Temple Garden Yuzu Ale
Baladin Isaac
Ballast Point Wahoo Wheat Beer
Barley Friska
Barley Island Sheet Metal Blonde
Barley John's Wit
Barley Station Talking Dog Wit
Barons Lemon Myrtle Witbier
Bastone Witbier
Bavik Witte Ezel
Bavik Wittekerke
Beach Killer whAle
Bellevaux Blanche
Benny Wit
Big Boss Blanco Diablo
Big Dog's Belgian White
Big Hole Mythical White Grand Cru
Big Time Washington Wit
Birdsview Witless in Birdsview
BJ's Nit Wit
Blue Frog Belgium White
Bo's White Lake Wheat
Bold City White Ale
Bones Belgian White
Borsodi Hoegaarden White
Boston Beer Company Samuel Adams White Ale
Boulevard Zōn
Brass Monkey White Flag
Brøckhouse Faste Øl
Breakside Wit
Breckenridge Summer Bright Ale
Breughel Kamour
Breughel Kamour Double
Brewer's Whale Branch Wit
Brewery at Lake Tahoe Belgian-Style White Ale
Brewery Creek Belgian Wheat
Bright Razor Witbier
Brooklyn Blanche de Brooklyn
Bruery Orchard White
Bull & Bones Sun Lit Wit
Bull & Bush 35th Anniversary Ale
Calavera Witbier
Caracole Troublette
Cathedral Square Belgian Style White Ale
Caulier Blanche des Sources
Celis White
Cellar Rats Field Rat Wheat Beer
Central City Wally's Wheat
Chameleon Witty
Chantecler La Blanche
Chapelle Northmaen Blanche
Чернігівське Біле
Cheval Blanc Apocalypse Buckwheat Ale / Coup de Grisou
Cimes L'Aiguille Blanche
Clown Shoes Clementine Witbier
Colonial Witbier
Coors Blue Moon Belgian White
Copper Creek Wit
Copper Kettle Lucky 393 Grand Cru
Craftsman Wit
Crane River Carhenge Wheat
Crazy Mountain Lava Lake Wit Beer
Croix Blanche La Blanche
Crystal Springs Tic Wit
Dada Tzara
Damm Inedit
Dancing Camel Hefe-Wit
Dark Star Landlords Wit
Dark Star Spiced Vice
De Boei Dichte Mist
De Clerck Blanche de Péronne
De Graal Triverius
De Struise Witte
Denver ChopHouse Honey Wheat
Denver ChopHouse Wheat Ale
Deschutes 20th Anniversary Wit
Diamond Knot Wit Bier
Dieu du Ciel! Première Neige
DOG Pub Dog White Dog
Dogfish Head Weedwacker Wit
Driftwood White Bark Ale
Du Bocq Blanche de Namur
Du Bocq Blanche des Moines
Dubuisson Clovis
Dupont Blanche du Hainaut Biologique
Duvel Moortgat Steendonk
Eagle Rock Manifesto
Egan White Fathers Witbier
Elk Grove What's Wit This Beer?
Emmett's Belgian Wit
Empyrean Eccentric Belgian Wheat
Engine House #9 Belgian White
Epic Wit Beer
Erie Sunshine Wit
Fanno Creek Nit Wit
Faultline Belgian White
Fenton Belgian Wheat
Feral White
Feral White Special Reserve
Ferguson Belgian White
Five Seasons Belgian Wit
Five Seasons Venus
Five Star Dim Whit
Florida Key West Southernmost Wheat
Flying Dog Woody Creek White
Freetail Rye Wit
Frog & Rosbif Maison Blanche
Frog XVI Maison Blanche
Front Street Raging River Ale
Gayant Amadeus
Gottberg Belgian Ale
Gouden Boom Blanche de Bruges
Gourmet Blanche
Grand Ridge Natural Blonde
Gray Witbier
Great Basin Whoop Ass Witbier
Great Lakes Holy Moses
Harper's Belgian Whit
Heineken Wieckse Witte
Hilltop Blanche de VaBch
Hoegaarden Original White Ale
Holgate White Ale
Hometown Cellars Belgian White
Honsebrouck Vlaamsch Wit
Horny Goat Belgian Wheat
Humboldt Summer Nectar Wheat Ale
Huyghe Blanche des Nieges
Huyghe Floris Wit
Huyghe Kira
Indian Ocean White
Indigo Imp Devil's Wit
Iron Hill Belgian Witbier
Iron Springs Belgian Whit
Ishikawa Tama no Megumi Belgian Wit
Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca
Jopen Adriaan
Joseph James Alpine Wit
Karma Lemon Ale
Keuka White Cap Wheat
Kiuchi Hitachino Nest White Ale
Knight's Head Belgian Style White Ale
Kodiak Island Belgian Witbier
Kronenbourg Brugs
L'Inox Trouble-Fête
La Barberie Blanche
La Barberie Blanche Classique
La Gastaldia Wit
Ladyface La Blanche
Lakefront White
Lamppost Pizza Katerina Wit
Lariano Lilium
Leelanau Whaleback White
Lefebvre Abbaye de Floreffe Blanche
Lefebvre Blanche de Bruxelles Mannekin Pis
Lefebvre Newton
Legacy Blue Dog White Ale
Legendes Blanche de Saisis
Liefmans All Saints Belgian White Ale
Liefmans Wit Dentergems
Limburg Witbier
Lindeboom Venloosch Wit
Lion Stegmaier Midsummer White
Little Apple Wit's End
Longwood Wit Beer
Lost Coast Great White Beer
Louisiane Witbier
Lungo Sorso Risacca Witbier
Mackinaw Belgian Whitecap
Malmö Vete-öl
Mambo Beer
Matso's Monsoonal Blonde
Maui Belgian Wheat
Michigan Celis White
Milwaukee Belgian Wit
Milwaukee Dark Belgian Wit
Misty's Stonehenge Orange Wheat
Moa Blanc
Moab Sit Down, Shut Up, & Hold On
Montegioco Runa Bianca
Moon River Wild Wacky Wit
Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit
Moylan's White Christmas
Mudshark Full Moon Belgian White Ale
Multi-Brasse Blanche de Kingsey
Nakhon Lemongrass White
Natty Greene's Wildflower Witbier
Naufrageur Léonne
Nørrebro Stuykman Witt
Nebraska Infinite Wit
New Belgium Mothership Wit
New Belgium Sunshine Wheat
New South White Ale
Ninkasi Blanche
Nynäshamns Yttre Gaarden
O'So Summer Storm
Oaken Barrel Alabaster Wit
Оболон Биале
Old World Wit
Ommegang Witte
Opperbacco Bianca Piperita
Oregon Trail Wit
Otley O-garden
Otter Creek Wolaver's Organic Wit Bier
Otway Wheat Beer
Overland Stage Stop White
Oyster Bar Belgian Style Wit
Pacific Beach Whitewash Wheat
Peg's The Unbearable Lightness of Wit
Phylosophale Blanche Bio
Pietra Colomba
Pike Dry Wit
Platinum Belgian Wit
Port Lost Abbey Judgement Day
Pyramid Thomas Kemper Belgian White
Rapscallion White
Red Eye Bloom
Red Eye Wit
RedRock Belgian Wit
Regenboog Vuuve
Republic of Boulder Belgian White
Rijn Rijntje
Rivertown Wit Beer
Rivertowne White Lightning
RJ Cheval Blanc Blanche
RJ Tourmente
Rockmill Witbier
Rogue Mo Ale
Rogue Mom's Hefeweizen
Roman Mater Witbier
Roots Belgian Wit
Ruckus Midnight Wit
Rurale Seta
Sailor Hägar's Belgian Wit Ale
Saint Germain Page 24 Blanche
Saint John Liquid Sunshine Ale
Saint Louis Schlafly Witbier
Salt Lake Wit Bier
Søgaards Madam Whit
Schoune Blanche Bio
Schoune Blanche de Québec
Scuttlebutt White Wedding Wit
Sequoia Moto Brew Decoster Belgian Wit
Shawnee Biere Blanche
Sierrvoise Blanche
Silly Titje
Silver Creek White
Sint-Jozef Limburgse Witte
Skands Brüssel Wit
Sly Fox White Horse Wit
South Shore Witbier
Southampton Double White Ale
Southern Appalachian Witbier
Spanish Peaks White Ale
Spilker Cortland Autumn
Spring Street Wit
St Arnou Regatta St Cloud
St-Bernardus Bière Blanche
St-Bernardus Wit
St-Feuillien Grisette Blanche
Stadin Witbier
Steamworks Ipanema Summer White
Steenberge Ertvelds Wit
Sterkens White Ale
Stevens Point Belgian White
Stevens Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat
Stewart's Belgian Style Wit
Stonehouse Wheeltappers Wheat Beer
Storm Twister Wheat Ale
Strömsholms Husaren
Streets of New York Belgian White
Strubbe Vlas Kop
Suds Brothers Orange Blossom Belgian Whitbier
Summit Scandia Ale
Sun King Firefly Wheat
Swamp Head Cottonmouth
Sweetwater Wits End
Tallgrass Wheat
Taps Belgian White
ThirstyBear Valencia Wheat
Thomas Kemper White
Three Boys Wheat
Tinkoff Whit Nights
Tinkoff White
Titletown Belgian Summer Ale
Toccalmatto Ambrosia
Toccalmatto Jadis
Troegs Scratch #22 Belgian Style White
Troegs Scratch #36 Bruce Wit
Umpqua White
Unibroue Blanche de Chambly
Utah Brewers Squatters Wit
Val de Sambre Blanche de Charleroi
Val'Aisne Blanche
Valscura Blanche de Sarone
Van Eecke Watou's Wit Beer
Wedge Summertime Wheat Beer
Western Reserve Cloud Nine Witbier
Weyerbacher Blanche
Wig & Pen Belgian Blonde Witbier
Wild Wolf Summer Solstice Witbier
Wimberley Hefe-weissen
Zhujiang White Beer
