Residents of Austria consider Gösser beer to be a reference. Despite the fact that this popular beer brand belongs to the Heineken concern, the drink is still made in accordance with the traditions of Austrian brewing.
Historical reference. In the Middle Ages, beer was brewed in all Catholic monasteries: a foamy drink reinforced the strength of people exhausted by hard work, fasting and long prayers. The ancient monastery of Göss in Styria was no exception, built in the XNUMXth century on the steep banks of the Mur River, near the town of Leoben.
Although the first documentary evidence of beer brewing in the abbey dates back to 1459, there is no doubt that beer was brewed here much earlier. The unique taste of “Gösser” was given by very soft, crystal clear water from the monastery wells. The impregnable walls of Göss reliably kept the secrets of the brewer monks until 1782, when, by decree of the emperor, the abbey was closed and its property was sold.
In 1860, entrepreneur Max Kober bought part of the territory that previously belonged to the monastery, along with a dilapidated brewery. The new owner managed to restore the old Gösser lager recipe, which seemed lost, and to establish the industrial production of beer. By the end of the XNUMXth century, it was already being sold throughout Austria.
During the 400th century, the brewery changed owners several times, but they all took care of expanding production and strict control over product quality. For example, it is known that before the Second World War, the plant produced XNUMX thousand hectoliters of beer per year.
During the war, the company was not damaged, and after the war, the popularity of Gösser increased even more. In the museum of the brewery, guides always proudly mention that in 1955 it was this beer that was served to distinguished guests at a gala dinner on the day the Treaty of Austrian State Sovereignty was signed.
In 2003, Brau Union Österreich AG, which owned the brewery, became part of the Heineken concern. Currently, the plant produces 1,4 million bottles of beer daily. Hops and barley are supplied by 15 farms located within a radius of 100 km from the enterprise.
In order to keep the raw material growing area as environmentally friendly as possible, carbon dioxide emissions are practically reduced to zero. To generate heat, the plant uses the energy of solar panels and biogas, which is formed during the fermentation of spent grain mixed with sawmill waste.
Gösser is produced under license at Heineken enterprises in Russia, Belarus, Romania and Hungary. But the reference is the taste of beer produced in Austria.
Types of Gösser beer
Gösser Märzen is a “March” beer of straw-golden color with an ABV of 5,2% and a gravity of 11,9%. Brewed according to old monastic recipes. The drink has a malty-floral aroma, in a rich taste the delicate sweetness of malt is balanced by hop bitterness. Of all the Gösser beers produced at the plant in Leoben, 70% comes from this variety.
Gösser Gold is an amber-gold beer with a strength of 5,3% and a gravity of 12,2%. Carefully selected varieties of aromatic hops give the drink a resemblance to a pilsner.
Gösser Stifts-Zwickl hell is an unfiltered golden-copper beer, 5,2% ABV, 11,8% gravity. In its manufacture, 4 varieties of malt are used. As a result of warm fermentation at a temperature of +10 to +15 ° C, the beer acquires a mild taste and aroma with fruity notes.
Gösser Stifts-Zwickl dunkel is an unfiltered beer with an ABV of 5,7% and a gravity of 13,2%. Three varieties of malt are added to the wort, including dark rye, fermentation takes place at a temperature of +3 to +10 °C. The drink smells of honey, hops and fried bread.
Gösser Bock is a special “Christmas” beer with a strength of 7,1% and a gravity of 16,2%. According to Styrian customs, the drink undergoes malolactic (lactic) fermentation. The beer has an intense malty aroma and rich taste.
Gösser Stiftsbräu is a maroon-coloured beer brewed according to an old recipe of monks who called it “dark joy”. Fortress – 4,5%, density – 11,8%. The coffee-caramel aroma of the drink is in harmony with the soft, creamy taste.
Gösser Stifts-Troad is a deep amber beer with 4,9% ABV and 12,5% gravity. It has a refreshing taste with fruity tones.
Gösser NaturRadler Zitrone – light beer with lemon juice, ABV – 2%, gravity – 9,8%.
Gösser NaturRadler Kräuter – beer with an extract of aromatic herbs, strength – 2%, density – 9,9%.
Gösser NaturGold is a non-alcoholic beer with a strength of 0,5% and a gravity of 7%.
Gösser Kracherl Zitrone – non-alcoholic beer with natural lemon juice, strength – 0,5%, density – 7,5%.
Gösser Kracherl Holunder – non-alcoholic beer with elderberry and lemon juice, strength – 0,5%, density – 6,9%.
