Today, Grolsh beer manufactured by Koninklijke Grolsch NV is known almost all over the world. Of course, fame did not come to this brand right away; the path to fame was not easy and thorny. High quality standards, excellent raw materials and technology developed over the years - all this served as weighty arguments in the fight for the love of fans.
Fairy tale past
In ancient times there was a small brewery in the Dutch town of Groll. Once the old owner sold it to a rich man - William Nirfeldt. Sir William immediately noticed among the workers a diligent and hardworking young man named Peter Kuiper. Highly appreciating not only the mind and quickness of the worker, but also his human qualities, the new owner gave his daughter to him as a wife, and then transferred the brewery management to his hands.
Sounds like an old fairy tale, doesn't it? But in fact, this is the pure truth. And the story of Grolsh beer began that way.
Peter took over the reins of power in 1660, and his father-in-law never regretted his decision. A reliable person and a true professional, he improved the technology, bringing it to perfection. This served as Peter’s appointment as head of the Brewers Guild of Groll. He trained young specialists, generously shared his experience with colleagues and, of course, personally prepared wonderful beer. In many ways, he surpassed not only contemporaries - Grolsh beer and is now brewed according to the recipe he invented and in strict accordance with his recommendations.
Pages of history
For almost two centuries, the old Kuiper brewery flourished and belonged to the family, passing by inheritance to its descendants. In the mid-19th century, it was doing so well that production could not physically cope with the growing demands of the market. Prosperity was also facilitated by the fact that the majority of smaller breweries could not stay afloat, and their departure from the market contributed to the growth of consumer demand for Grohl products.
The brewery's management decided to move production outside the city, but this massive undertaking required too much investment, which turned into a financial collapse for the family. In 1897, the Kuipers were forced to sell the brewery to the Theo de Grohn family.
The new owner continued to produce beer under the same name Grolsch. And it turned out that the brand only won from the arrival of the new leadership. In the same year, a bottle of a unique shape appeared, today known as swing-top.
Grolsch abandons refillable brown glass bottles in favor of unique green hinged porcelain lids. They are today the hallmark of the brand. Although, of course, the classic is not forgotten. Regular packaging is not at all uncommon; it also produces Grolsh beer. The manufacturer leaves the buyer the right to choose. The price also depends on the bottle (ceramic caps are more expensive).
The de Gron family has transformed the brewery into one of the largest breweries in the region. At the beginning of the 20th century, he began to produce non-alcoholic drinks, but beer remained a priority.
The language barrier
Does your ear hurt? Does the name “Grolsh” beer seem unusual? Reviews about this product, which sounded almost at the same time throughout Europe, converge in content, but so vary in form! Indeed, many people call this beer different words. Most Russian-speaking people say the usual "Grolsh". Approximately the same transcription is inherent in those who speak English. If you read this word according to the rules of the German language, you get "Grosch" - and that’s exactly how the beer is called by the Germans. In fact, the name is Dutch and the reading rules in this language are slightly different. In the homeland of this beer, in the Netherlands, this word reads as "Hrols". Often you can hear the Groles.
The difference in reading is just an interesting detail, but in fact, all this language confusion does not so much prevent beer lovers who speak different languages ​​from understanding which sort of talk.
Water in beer
In Holland, and in the rest of the world, over the past decades, an uncountable number of beers has appeared. Along with dark and light classics, you can find white, black and red beer, and some subspecies are generally difficult to classify, and it is sometimes difficult to determine which sort of Grolsh beer belongs to. Photos of glasses filled with this beer are sometimes more reminiscent of uzvar or light wines.
Such a scope for the creativity of Dutch brewers is determined by geography. The water in those parts is simply excellent and ideal for beer production. But both professionals and amateurs know very well how much depends on it.
The secret to such success is in the water. Both fine beer connoisseurs and professionals are well aware of how much the characteristics of water influence the taste and quality of beer. So, Holland was lucky in this regard. Not only is there a lot of water, but it is also excellent for making beer.
Four seasons
Among the assortment of the company you can find both classic varieties, and quite unusual ones. And although most beer lovers around the world remain faithful to the most popular Premium Lager Grolsh variety, other types are also very popular.
In 1995, the company started an interesting experiment and offered several new products to consumers' judgment. Brewers have always been inclined to believe that it is better to drink light beer in the heat, and dark beer is ideal for cold winter evenings. Grolsh went even further and produced four beers, just for every season.
For example, the manufacturer recommends drinking strong beer Grolsch Lentebok in the spring, and golden Grolsch Zomergoud in the summer. The fragrant dark Grolsch Herfstbok is a great option for a cool autumn, but Grolsh Wintervorst will warm you in the winter.
The collection is complemented by amber ale Grolsch Amber Ale and dark brown beer Grolsch Dark Brown. Those who love everything unusual will definitely like fruit-flavored Zinniz beer with a fruit aroma. “Teetotalers” were not left without attention - a special malt grade Grolsch Special Malt, without a degree, was specially produced for them. It is worth mentioning that Grolsch even mastered the production of vegetarian beer.
The famous "Lager"
The world's most popular variety from this producer is Grolsh Premium Lager beer, light. It is brewed from classic components using a special technology of lower fermentation. “In order to make excellent beer, you need malt, cold and conscience,” the Dutch brewers joke. It is these three ingredients that underlie the remarkable quality of lager beer. This variety has a small strength - 5%. And it is recommended to drink it, having cooled very well. Although even if your gatherings are delayed, the temperature of the drink in the glass rises above the reference mark of 6-8 ° C, the Grolsh beer will not turn into a disgusting liquid, but will continue to delight you with taste, aroma and foam.
Bottle
A brown bottle is most often supplied to the Dutch domestic market, while for export it is a green bottle that is familiar to us. However, the manufacturer often uses glass of other colors: transparent, light brown, yellow.
The cult of the Grolsh bottle with a hinged lid is reflected even in art. She often appears in graffiti, becomes part of the installations.
Sometimes even dishes are made from a classic glass bottle of beer using special technology: beer glasses, glasses, plates for sushi and snacks. Of course, an ordinary beer container would not look so charismatic in the form of an art object, as it turns out with an unusual bottle from Grolsh.
All this suggests that among the admirers of good beer a peculiar cult of the Dutch beer Grolsh Lager has formed.
Beer snacks
Like other varieties, Grolsh is best drunk chilled. Seafood dishes, stockfish, smoked sausages, barbecue and grilled meat are well suited to it.