Granville Island pays tribute to ancient style with a delightful nectarine-infused Gose

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      You might consider it silly to refer to a style of beer as ‘legendary’, but if any style deserves such an acknowledgement, it’s the Gose. 

      Pronounced goh-zeh, the sour style is known for its unique flavour profile and use of an ingredient that would likely catch most beer drinkers off-guard: salt. (We’ll get to that in a second.) 

      There’s some debate over the exact year that the Gose first appeared on the scene. Some researches claim that Emperor Otto III, who ruled Germany between 983 and 1002, was an avid drinker of the style. Others argue the beer wasn’t brewed until the early 16th century.

      Although the date of origin might be up in the air, the beer’s birthplace certainly isn’t: Named after the River Gose, the beer was first brewed in the German town of Goslar, and quickly became popular in the neighbouring city of Leipzig, where in 1900, as many as 80 licensed Gose houses were in operation.

      Now, back to the note of salt: The Gose is the only traditional style of beer known to be brewed with slightly salty water. The first iterations of this style utilized naturally saline water sourced from mineral-rich aquifers in Goslar. The savory quality made for a spontaneously fermented sour beer that stood out when it came to characteristics like balance and palatability.

      Gose remained wildly popular until 1906, when the Reinheitsgebot, or German Beer Purity Laws, were put into place, limiting the number of ingredients that brewers could use to make beer. 

      Fast-forward to 2016, and we’re seeing a massive resurgence of the style that was once outlawed in its home country. The Gose is alive and well once again; not just in Europe, but right here in Vancouver.

      Granville Island Brewing’s small batch program first took a swing at brewing the style last summer, as part of its Growl at the Moon program. Beer merchant Mike Sharpham says that staff at the brewery quickly learned that one batch of the sour style wasn’t nearly enough to meet the demand.

      “The success of last summer is what led to this year’s Gose,” Sharpham says to the Straight.

      The brewery’s new Gose with Nectarine is kettle-soured with yeast and lactic bacteria—specifically, Greek yogurt—giving it a tangy yet full mouthfeel. The addition of nectarine puree makes for just the right amount of fruity notes, while the addition of sea salt mimics the saline quality found in the Goses of Goslar.

      “In my mind, one of the great things about the Gose is that it’s a sour style but it’s nice and refreshing,” Sharpham says. “The salt is a tricky thing to balance, but in the right amount, it makes the beer nice and flavourful—too much can be off-putting.”

      Aiming for that balance, brewmaster Kevin Emms also employed coriander to add a slight spicy note. The result is a beer that starts off almost cider-like, and finishes dry, leaving you with a satisfying salty aftertaste, ensuring you’ll be going back for another sip in 30 seconds or less. (Try to fight the urge. We couldn't.)

      “You don’t get this super sour puckering character, but a nice tartness,” Sharpham says. “It’s fantastic for hesitant beer drinkers.”

      Sharpham says an official launch of the Gose will take place at the brewery in the coming weeks. For now, curious beer drinkers can grab a 650 mL bottle from the brewery’s retail store, or at select local liquor stores.

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