gose

Gose is a traditional beer style from the Harz Mountains, whose name, according to legend, is derived from the river Gose. Today, most breweries have their own deep wells and are not dependent on being near a spring or river. In the past, however, breweries had to settle on rivers and other bodies of water with good water quality in order to use the cool, clear water for brewing. The pure water of the Gose was used to make a beer of the same name, which was first mentioned in documents in 1332. The historical style is a sour beer and is traditionally brewed with salt and coriander. Lactic acid cultures provide the typical acidity. After Gose’s popularity exceeded the borders of the Harz Mountains in the Middle Ages, it spread throughout Germany. With the advent of the craft beer movement centuries later, the style emerged as a favorite of craft brewers all over the world and took on a whole new meaning.

The team at the Hamburg brewery Barbarossa I Am is also a fan of Gose: their very own interpretation of the classic is a reduced version. The northerners do without coriander and salt, but enrich the taste by storing it on toasted oak chips. Their brew is mildly sour, tastes of vanilla and aromatic wood and can be bought in small and large bottles.