Today is more of a day for celebration in Germany than the United States, but I remember a number of years ago, our friend Winfried mentioned it and I thought it might be good to pass along the information….
Every year since 2016, November 17th has been celebrated as International Happy Gose Day.
(Just so you know, Gose doesn’t rhyme with rose as you might think — Gose (gōse) rhymes with Rosa.)
Goes is a fermented sour wheat beer that originated during the sixteenth century in Goslar, located in Northern Germany. In later years, Gose became more associated with the city of Leipzig. The beer became so popular that it gained exemption for the country’s purity law. The law stated that German beer could only contain water, barley, yeast, and hops. But Gose was also made with malted wheat and Coriander. Salty water from the Goslar River was also used, giving the drink a unique salty and tart taste.
The beer was brewed until WWII. After the war, Gose disappeared for a while, but made a comeback in 1949. Friedrich Wurzler Brauerei is credited for saving Gose and he continued to brew the beer until his death. Goes didn’t come back into existence until 1986. I’m not aware that Gose is available anywhere near where we live and Winfried wasn’t aware of any place either.
But if you can find it, today’s the day to check it out. If you do find it, you’re not allowed to say, “Cheers.” You must say “Goseanna!”
Here’s to International Happy Gose day!!
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