The history of Gose (pronounced “Goes-uh”), dates all the way back to the 16th century in the German town of Goslar. Initially, this particular style of beer was spontaneously fermented – meaning the beer was allowed to ferment by itself without the addition of yeast – and it wasn’t until more than 300 years later that top fermenting yeast was used in its production. Style-wise, Gose beer typically lends itself as slightly sour with a notable amount of salt and spice (typically from coriander). A prominent hop aroma or profile is absent here, and a typical alcohol content of around four to five percent make Gose beers a warm-weather delight.
Ironically enough Gose has fallen out of favor up until recently, for it was the craft beer revolution in the late 2000s that put this style on beer drinkers’ radar. Suddenly, however, the musty, lemony and salty delights made their way back into the hands of beer drinkers across America, along with several delicious – and not so delicious – options from hordes of micro and craft breweries across the nation. Of course, we need not concern ourselves with the not-so-delicious options out there. Instead, and in anticipation of warmer weather right around the corner, we opted to provide you with a list of the 10 best Gose beers out there. Because nothing says summer like a day at the river, the beach, or the backyard barbecue with an effervescent and refreshing Gose in hand. Cheers.
Westbrook Gose
Sticking to tradition, the Westbrook Gose remains a slightly pungent wheat beer brewed with coriander and salt. They first released the beer back in 2012 and, with rave reviews and a growing dedicated fan base, have continued to do so every spring. And why wouldn’t they, considering how refreshing this bubbly, citrusy and salty beer is on the palate? Now if that doesn’t sound good then we don’t know what does.
Victory Kirsch
Stepping outside the norm, as Victory Brewing tends to do from time to time, this interpretation of the Gose style, released every Spring, offers a bit of extra flavor to the discerning palate. We’re talking a burst of fresh cherries that add just enough hue, aroma, and pungent flavor to make the Kirsch Gose stand out from the fray. A true marriage of European tradition and American ingenuity.
The Kimmie, The Yink & The Holy Gose
Easily one of our favorite spring and summertime beers, The Kimmie, The Yink & The Holy Gose offers a refreshing tartness that quickly transitions into a full-flavored citrus-based beer imparting notes of guava and peach along with the obvious hints of salt along the way. Combine these with a touch of lemon, coriander, and subsequent additions of salt after the fermentation process is complete and you can’t help but to taste the dog days of summer ahead.
Stillwater/Westbrook Gose Gone Wild
Now we know that traditional Gose has an almost nonexistent hop profile, but in case you didn’t know, Stillwater Artisanal is anything but a traditional brewery. So, in conjunction with Westbrook’s renowned Gose, they worked to up the ante with this offering. In doing so, a massive dose of Citra and Amarillo hops were added to the batch before it was fermented with strains of Brettanomyces (wild yeast) giving the Gose Gone Wild a little extra funk only Stillwater could pull off with class.
Off Color Troublesome
Fans of sour ales will find yet another pleasant surprise in Troublesome thanks to the presence of lactobacillus – a souring agent. In brewing this ale, the brewers over at Off Color actually blended two batches together. They include a rather basic wheat beer and a funky and acidic ale fermented only with wild yeast. Afterward, coriander and salt are introduced at the end of the fermentation process to round off the flavor profile. The result is a lemony and tart, yet mild Gose that sounds incredibly hard to make, but no doubt delicious.
Leipziger Gose
Named after the original Leipzig beer, one of the first Gose beers introduced in Germany, this offering is the real deal. No American interpretation, no messing around. Simply a German Gose brewed the traditional way, imparting traditional sour and salty notes. They’re available here in the US as well, so we’d highly suggest picking some up and enjoying them yourself on a warm Spring afternoon around the house.
Real Ale Brewing Gose
Brewed specifically to keep you refreshed during the hottest of summers, Gose from Texas-based Real Ale Brewing Company features all the necessary ingredients for a delightful and delicious interpretation. Hints of coriander, salt and citrus are present here, along with the necessary effervescence to boot. However, to make it their own, Real Ale adds a touch of fresh lime juice for a little extra tartness which rounds this beer out wonderfully.
Boulevard Hibiscus Gose
Not to be outdone, Boulevard decided to get a bit romantic on us with their Hibiscus Gose. Don’t get us wrong, though, the beer still receives the necessary coriander and sea salt additions during the boil. However, they take things up a notch by steeping dried hibiscus flowers at the end resulting in a pink hue and floral character in addition to the already pungent ale. Could be the perfect beer to pair with a Valentine’s Day home cooked meal.
Cascade Gose
It’s always interesting to see a West Coast brewery offer something that isn’t hopped to death. Instead, Portland-based Cascade brewing did their best to recreate the traditional Gose Style beer by mimicking the local water that was used in brewing the style so many years ago. What you get is a deliciously refreshing wheat beer with notes of coriander, lemon, sea salt and some additional spice.
Evil Twin Mission Gose
With the resurgence of such a style, it was impossible for well-known Evil Twin Brewing to keep their hands out of the mix. Because why not, right? It’s as good of a reason as any to try something new, and succeed they did with this Mission Gose. Their version is a sharp and crisp offering, with notes of spruce, wheat, funk and salt all blending together in a refreshing and unique manner that’s sure to please any drinker willing to step out of normality.
