34 culturecheesemag.com DRINKS WITH CHEESE 202 3
G O S E
I L I K E S A L T S C A T T E R E D
on French f ries, mixed into bloody marys,
and rimming margaritas. Beer? Not so much.
But there is one exception: Germany's gose
(pronounced goes-uh), an ancient wheat quaff
with a ref reshing tartness (and yes a briny kick).
Consider it a killer electrolyte replenisher on
a sweaty afternoon. When used in cooking,
salt sharpens and stitches together disparate
flavors—it's an essential ingredient. Germany's
centuries-old gose, however, did not come f rom
a recipe but rather happenstance. The beer's
origins can be traced to the sixteenth century
in Goslar, a mining town in northwest Germany,
where the mineral-rich waters of the local Gose
River supplied the tipple with its name and
signature sodium chloride. The style soldiered
on until the 1940s, when the government
shuttered the last brewery during World War
II. Four decades later gose slowly stirred f rom
the grave, thanks to Leipzig bar owners and
breweries—The revival's slow German simmer
became a full American boil as stateside brewers
cottoned to the low-ABV style's approachable
tartness and dry finish—perfect for drinkers
tiptoeing into sour waters. (These days the
pucker typically comes f rom the bacterium
Lactobacillus, while salt is manually added.)
J OS H UA M . B E R N S T E I N , Summer 2 017
B E E R
PHOTO:
pavelkant,
Adobe
Stock
