Grolsch beer: history, overview of types + interesting facts

Grolsch (Гролш) – beer comes from the Netherlands with more than 400 years of history. It has unique organoleptic properties due to the use of two types of hops in the recipe. One determines the taste, the other determines the aroma.

History of Grolsch Beer

1615 On May 11, Willem Nerfeldt founded a brewery in Groenlo. One of his brewers, Peter Kuijper, later became known as the creator of Grolsch beer.

1897 A new bottle of 0,5 liters has appeared. The lid has a porcelain finish, with a rubber ring and a metal lever to open it. Over time, this type of cover conquered the market.

1922 The brewery was restored for a long time after the events of the First World War. It was decided to connect the two factories located in the cities of Grunlo and Enschede and give them the common name NV Bierbrouwerij De Klok.

1949 The company hired advertising director Gerard Brammer. The business has been family-run since its inception, and the new employee is the first not from the de Groen family. The first advertising campaign was: “Beer experts ask about Grolsch.”

1972 The company began to engage in more active export than before. The metal-lever bottle stood out in particular from competing import brands.

1980 A new legendary advertising slogan appeared: “One day… You will stop drinking beer, but continue Grolsch!”, thus confirming the quality of the products.

2000 On May 13, a devastating explosion occurred at SE Fireworks, a fireworks factory just 200 meters from the brewery. The brewery in Enschede was also affected and temporarily closed. The employees had to move to a second plant in Grunlo.

2007 The brown bottle was replaced with a green one. Embossed inscriptions with the name of the brand appeared on the sides, as well as a symbol of two hop varieties used in the composition.

2016 In October, Grolsch acquired Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. The brand entered the European branch of the Asahi group.

2020 Beer entered new international markets. Previously, it has already been presented in Canada, the UK, France, Australia, Russia and many others. It is still a symbol of quality and craftsmanship.

Species introduced in Russia

  1. Grolsch Premium Bearing, 4,9%. Premium European lager, golden color, medium head. Refreshing taste with light hop bitterness. Very carbonated. The aftertaste is bitter.

Species introduced abroad

  1. Frisbittere IPA, 5,5%. Indian pale ale. Slightly cloudy. Aromas of citrus and tropical fruits. Quite bitter in taste.

  2. Classic Blonde, 6,7%. In the composition of special Belgian abbey yeast. Unobtrusively smells of flowers, bitter.

  3. Blonde Saison, 6,5%. Natural honey combined with Saison yeast gives a pleasant dry character. The perfect balance between fruity and spicy notes.

  4. Crystal Clear Summer Buck, 6,4%. Belongs to the bok-beer variety. Inspired by the authentic German Kristall Weizenbock recipe. Fruity with notes of cloves, the aftertaste is interesting, tingling.

  5. Radler Lime, 0%. Half beer, half natural lime juice. It has a fresh taste and aroma.

  6. Pure Weizen, 5,1%. Wheat beer brewed according to the Beer Purity Law, or Reinheitsgebot, from exclusively natural ingredients. It has a fresh taste and a characteristic aroma of cloves and fruits.

  7. Fresh Spring Buck, 6,5%. A blend of noble hops and generous amounts of roasted malt create tantalizing notes of citrus, honey and green apple. Fresh aroma with spicy tones reminiscent of spring.

  8. Full Double, 6,8%. The addition of dark malt lends a mild caramel flavor and is full bodied.

  9. Spicy Tripel,8,3%. Cooked with the addition of cardamom, coriander and lemongrass. Spicy.

  10. Ripened Autumn Buck, 6,6%. Opens a bouquet of caramel, raisins and red fruits.

  11. Powerful Cannon, 11,6%. Sufficiently strong due to double fermentation at high temperatures. It has a fruity sweetness and hints of ripe figs, juniper and caramel.

  12. Winterbuck, 7,5%. Belongs to the bock variety with a delicate spicy taste of honey. It smells of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and honey.

  13. Rich Autumn Buck, 6,6%. Dominates the aroma of caramel and subtle notes of cinnamon, raisins and blueberries.

  14. Radler Lime, 2%. Slightly sweet, boiled with lime juice.

  15. Cyclists Citroen, 2%. The taste is fresh with lemon tones.

  16. Cyclists Citroen, 0%. Brewed from carefully selected ingredients and carbonated spring water. Then natural lemon juice is added. Sweet, refreshing.

  17. Radler Less Sweet, 0%. Contains only natural sugar and lemon juice. The beer has a fresh, slightly sweet taste. It differs from the standard radler in less sweetness.

Awards

The beer received an honorary award in 1995. It is awarded to Dutch companies that have been successfully operating for more than 100 years, have an impeccable track record and are respected. The brewery was given “Royal” status, so the name changed from Grolsche Brouwerij NV to Koninklijke Grolsch Brouwerij NV.

Interesting Facts

  1. In the Dutch language, the brand name is read as “grols”, although the German pronunciation “grolsch” has taken root in the world.

  2. Peter Kuinger, who first brewed Grolsch, wanted to marry a girl, but was refused three times. According to legend, she agreed to marry him only when he created the recipe for the perfect beer. It’s not hard to guess that they ended up getting married.

  3. In 2015, the brand celebrated its 400th anniversary. Now it is one of the oldest and largest brewing companies in the Netherlands for 400 years.

Relevance: 25.05.2020

Tags: Beer, Cider, Ale, Beer brands

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