Grodziskie (; other names: Grätzer, Grodzisz
[) is a historical ]beer style
Beer styles differentiate and categorise beers by colour, flavour, strength, ingredients, production method, recipe, history, or origin.
The modern concept of beer styles is largely based on the work of writer Michael Jackson in his 1977 book ...
from Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
made from oak-smoked wheat malt with a clear, light golden color, high carbonation
Carbonation is the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide to give carbonates, bicarbonates, and carbonic acid. In chemistry, the term is sometimes used in place of carboxylation, which refers to the formation of carboxylic acids.
In inorganic ch ...
, low alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
content, low to moderate levels of hop
A hop is a type of jump.
Hop or hops may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Hop'' (film), a 2011 film
* Hop! Channel, an Israeli TV channel
* ''House of Payne'', or ''HOP'', an American sitcom
* Lindy Hop, a swing dance of the 1920s and ...
bitterness, and a strong smoke flavor and aroma. The taste is light and crisp, with primary flavors coming from the smoked malt, the high mineral content of the water, and the strain of yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitut ...
used to ferment it. It was nicknamed "Polish Champagne" because of its high carbonation levels and valued as a high-quality beer for special occasions.
Grodziskie is brewed from wheat malt
Malt is germinated cereal grain that has been dried in a process known as " malting". The grain is made to germinate by soaking in water and is then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air.
Malted grain is used to make beer, wh ...
that has been dried by circulating oak smoke through the grains. The smokiness of the grain and the mineral profile of the water used to brew the beverage gives the style its characteristic flavor. Polish breweries historically used locally grown hops and one or two strains of brewer's yeast in its production. Before packaging, the beer is treated with isinglass
Isinglass () is a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is a form of collagen used mainly for the clarification or fining of some beer and wine. It can also be cooked into a paste for specialised gluing purposes.
The E ...
to produce a bright, clear appearance. The beer is packaged before all of the fermentable sugars have been converted to alcohol by the yeast, earlier in the process than is typical in beers. Fermentation continues after packaging, and the carbon dioxide that is produced remains dissolved in the beer, resulting in a very high level of carbonation in the final product.
The beer was originally produced by brewers in the town of Grodzisk Wielkopolski
Grodzisk Wielkopolski (german: Grätz) is a town in western Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship (Wielkopolskie), with a population of 13,703 (2006). It is south-west of Poznań, the voivodeship capital. It is the seat of Grodzisk Wielkopolski ...
in the 14th or 15th century. Strict regulations regarding the quality of the beer were established by the local brewers' guild, and helped it develop a good reputation in the surrounding cities and neighboring countries. At the peak of its fame, it was exported to 37 countries and was regarded as an exceptionally good beer. The brewing industry in the town flourished. After the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, beer production was nationalized, and the beer entered a period of decline under the Communist government of Poland. By 1993, the last brewery that was producing the style was shut down. After a period of years when the style was not available from any commercial brewers, several breweries began producing seasonal or year-round recreations of the historic style, spurred by interest in the style from the homebrewing
Homebrewing is the brewing of beer or other alcoholic beverages on a small scale for personal, non-commercial purposes. Supplies, such as kits and fermentation tanks, can be purchased locally at specialty stores or online. Beer was brewed dom ...
community around the world.
Description
Grodziskie is a highly carbonated, low-alcohol beer with a clear, pale yellow to golden color, low to moderate levels of hop
A hop is a type of jump.
Hop or hops may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Hop'' (film), a 2011 film
* Hop! Channel, an Israeli TV channel
* ''House of Payne'', or ''HOP'', an American sitcom
* Lindy Hop, a swing dance of the 1920s and ...
bitterness, and a moderate to medium-high smoky aroma and flavor.[ The bright, clear, and highly carbonated appearance of Grodziskie has caused the beer to be compared with ]Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
, and it is sometimes referred to as "Polish Champagne".[ Most beers that are made from wheat appear cloudy, because the final product contains suspended yeast and proteins from the wheat. During the production of Grodziskie, however, the beer is filtered before it is bottled, usually by adding ]isinglass
Isinglass () is a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is a form of collagen used mainly for the clarification or fining of some beer and wine. It can also be cooked into a paste for specialised gluing purposes.
The E ...
. The filtration removes the suspended yeast and proteins, leaving a bright, clear beer.[ When poured into a glass, it produces a large, long-lasting, tight ]head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...
with small bubbles.[ It was traditionally served in tall, conical glasses that were designed to show off the clear, golden color, as well allow a wide, thick layer of foam to form when it was poured.][
The taste is light and crisp, with some bite from the carbonation.][ Brewing and tasting notes from a 1914 publication described Grodziskie as a "rough, bitter beer ... with an intense smoke and hop flavor",][ but by the late 20th century, the style's flavor had likely evolved to include less hop flavor and bitterness.][ Modern recreations of this style tend to focus on smoky flavor resulting from the oak-smoked malt,][ described as "somewhat acrid to semi-sweet",][ but literature from the 1960s states that a significant proportion of the beer's unique flavors are produced by its malting and brewing process and special strains of brewer's yeast that were used in its production.][ The flavor may also contain a mild wheat graininess noticeable in the background.][
Historically, Grodziskie was made with alcohol levels of around 3.1% ]abv
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...
,[ but commercial versions were also made with alcohol levels ranging from 2.5% to 5% abv.][
]
Ingredients
The grain used in Grodziskie is malted wheat. During the malting process, the wheat is dried in kilns that are heated by oak-burning furnaces. Instead of using the furnaces to heat clean air which is then used to dry the wheat, the hot smoke from the kilns is forced directly through the grain bed. The smoke dries the grain, and imparts a light color and an intense, pleasant, smoky flavor.[ This process would not be possible in the type of kilns that were more common in the past, that burned ]coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
or coke as fuel because the soot in the smoke would cause the grain to become discolored and contribute undesirable harsh flavors.[ The exact degree of smokiness that resulted from the oak kilning in historical times is not known.][ The smoke from the malting process also adds chemical components to the finished product that help preserve it, giving it a long shelf life despite its low alcohol content.] One story is told of a box of Grodziskie being found in the 1950s, buried in the sands of North Africa, that was left behind by German soldiers during World War II. The beer was opened and found to be as fresh as the day it was made. In addition to wheat, there were periods when the beer also included malted barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...
in various proportions, but for most of its history, it was made entirely from wheat.[
Many of the flavor characteristics of Grodziskie result from the chemical makeup of the water that the breweries used to produce the beer. The water from one of the wells on Poznańska Street in Grodzisk was tested, and showed a ]sulfate
The sulfate or sulphate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula . Salts, acid derivatives, and peroxides of sulfate are widely used in industry. Sulfates occur widely in everyday life. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid and many ar ...
ion concentration of 183 parts per million (ppm) and a chloride
The chloride ion is the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl−. It is formed when the element chlorine (a halogen) gains an electron or when a compound such as hydrogen chloride is dissolved in water or other polar solvents. Chloride salts ...
ion concentration of 81 ppm.[ ]Alkalinity
Alkalinity (from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is the capacity of water to resist acidification. It should not be confused with basicity, which is an absolute measurement on the pH scale.
Alkalinity is the strength of ...
(as calcium bicarbonate) was 350 ppm and the magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...
ion concentration was 34 ppm.[ Using this type of water to produce beer would result in a higher than expected hop flavor because of the high alkalinity and the ratio of sulfate ions to chloride ions.][ During the early stages of production, this water would have a higher pH, which would inhibit the efficiency of the natural enzymes that convert the starch in the grain to fermentable sugars during ]mashing
In brewing and distilling, mashing is the process of combining a mix of ground grains – typically malted barley with supplementary grains such as corn, sorghum, rye, or wheat – known as the "grain bill" with water and then heating the mixtu ...
. The result is a beer with more unfermented sugars and lower average alcohol content.[ Finally, the water would have contributed a slightly sour or bitter flavor to the beer, due to the high concentration of magnesium ions.][
Two unique strains of ]yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitut ...
were traditionally used; one highly flocculent
Flocculation, in the field of chemistry, is a process by which colloidal particles come out of suspension to sediment under the form of floc or flake, either spontaneously or due to the addition of a clarifying agent. The action differs from pr ...
strain that was responsible for most of the fermentation in the first few days, and the other, a powdery and less flocculant strain, that was slower and finished off the beer in the fermentation vats and in the bottles.[ Until the end of the 19th century, the breweries that produced Grodziskie used a single strain of yeast that was characterized by low attenuation and early flocculation.][ However, that strain was lost in the early 20th century. After World War II, yeast was imported from the Groterjan Brewery in Berlin.][ That yeast was not well suited for producing Grodziskie and was frequently contaminated with spoilage organisms including ]Lactobacillus
''Lactobacillus'' is a genus of Gram-positive, aerotolerant anaerobes or microaerophilic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria. Until 2020, the genus ''Lactobacillus'' comprised over 260 phylogenetically, ecologically, and metabolically diver ...
.[ In the 1960s, the state-owned brewery was able to isolate and maintain suitable strains of yeast that produced the desired characteristics,][ but only the highly-flocculant strain has been preserved to this day.][ Without access to the actual yeast used historically, most modern recreations of Grodziskie typically use ale yeasts that do not contribute a significant amount of yeast character to the beer.][
Brewers typically used locally produced varieties of Polish hops such as Nowotomyski, but would occasionally substitute similar noble hops.][ Historical sources indicate that around the end of the 19th century, breweries used of hops for every of wheat malt, but by the 1960s the hopping rate had decreased to of hops per of wheat malt.][
]
Production
The beer was variously produced using an infusion
Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An inf ...
mash or a decoction
Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various herbal-medicine systems. De ...
mash. Some of the traditional production methods of the style are known from undated records from the Grodzisk brewery.[ These records describe an infusion mash that included a 30-minute acid rest at , a 30 to 60 minute protease rest at , an α-amylase rest for 30 minutes at , and a mash out at .][ The wort was boiled for 90 to 120 minutes. Approximately 80% of the hops were added after 15 minutes and the remaining 20% were added 30 minutes before the end of the boil.][
After the boil, the wort was cooled and ]fermented
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...
in open wooden vats at .[ The two strains of yeast were added at the same time, and fermentation would proceed rapidly.][ After one day of fermentation, the thick foam that formed on the top of the fermentation vat was skimmed off and discarded. After 60 hours, up to 50% of the available sugars would have been fermented by the yeast, and thick clumps of yeast were skimmed off of the surface and harvested for reuse.][ The beer was then pumped with sterile air into clarification tanks.][ Isinglass was added to clarify the beverage, and then it was bottled.][
After packaging, the bottles were stored from three to five weeks at in a dark room as the yeast continued to ferment the remaining sugars in the beer.][ The carbon dioxide that resulted from the fermentation remained trapped in the bottles and dissolved into the liquid, resulting in high levels of carbonation.][ During this period, an average of four to five percent of the bottles would burst due to carbonation levels exceeding the strength of the bottles.][
]
History
The first documented mention of the town of Grodzisk Wielkopolski
Grodzisk Wielkopolski (german: Grätz) is a town in western Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship (Wielkopolskie), with a population of 13,703 (2006). It is south-west of Poznań, the voivodeship capital. It is the seat of Grodzisk Wielkopolski ...
was from around 1257 as part of lands owned by the Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
monastery in Paradyż.[ The town grew in prominence due to its location on the road between ]Poznań
Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...
and Gubin, a road that continued onward to Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
.[ By the 16th century, the ]Ostroróg family 180px, Coat of the family was Nałęcz.
170px, Mikołaj Ostroróg (1593–1651)
The Ostroróg family were notable members of the Polish nobility (szlachta) taking their name from Ostroróg, a town in Szamotuły County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, ...
in Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) controlled the town.[ The Ostroróg family was a source of support for the ]Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
in the area, and the town became a center of Protestantism in the country and attracted dissidents from the Czech lands
The Czech lands or the Bohemian lands ( cs, České země ) are the three historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia. Together the three have formed the Czech part of Czechoslovakia since 1918, the Czech Socialist Republic since 1 ...
and Western Europe. Craftsmen, scholars, and writers gravitated to the area, which became a center of reformist thought in Wielkopolska.[ Industrial-scale brewing developed when Johann Volanus, the administrator of the Ostroróg estate and father of ]Andreas Volanus Andreas Volanus ( lt, Andrius Volanas, pl, Andrzej Wolan, 1530 in Poznań – 1610 in Vilnius) was a secretary to the Grand Duke of Lithuania and an eminent Calvinist theologian. Volanus was involved with controversy about both Jesuits
, image ...
, a famous Reformation writer, imported skilled brewers from Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The me ...
and Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
.[
A legend associated with the history of this beer relates to the ]Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monk named Bernard of Wąbrzeźno.[ Around 1603, he arrived from the Benedictine monastery in Lubiń to find the residents starving and the town's wells depleted.][ The brewery was the primary source of income for the city and the hospital.][ Bernard prayed for the wells and a new source of water suddenly filled the Old Market well. Legends claimed that the newly refilled well had the ability to make whoever drank from it healthy again, and the beer that was produced from the water was far superior to any of the beer the brewers had been able to produce before.][ The well became a municipal treasure and was given credit for the commercial success of the breweries over the centuries to follow.][ For over 200 years after the event, the residents of Grodzisk would make an annual procession to Bernard's monastery to bring a keg of the beer that they made from the well as a show of gratitude.][
]
A maltsters' and brewers' guild existed in the town in 1601.[ The guild created a monopoly on the right to produce malted grain and beer for sale, and kept it in the hands of a select few families, strictly controlled by the guilds.][ It also implemented rules and regulations on the production of the beer that was designed to protect the quality and reputation of the beer. A system of quality control was put in place; each barrel of beer that was produced was subjected to a beer tasting by the mayor of the town and a council of elders who evaluated its quality and strength and approved the beer for sale or export with a distinctive stamp.][ Brewers who attempted to cheat the system of quality control were permanently stripped of their right to produce the beer.][ The guild also organized the production of beer by the major breweries, which shared the Old Market well. In 1843 and 1844, there were two breweries in Grodzisk that shared the well.][ By 1866, the city had begun taxing the breweries for their use of the municipal wells. Two private breweries built their own wells, and found that the water was just as good as the water from the Old Market. Following this discovery, all of breweries eventually built their own wells.][
The earliest documentation of the beer being exported to other regions is from records in the nearby town of ]Wschowa
Wschowa (pronounced , german: Fraustadt) is a town in the Lubusz Voivodeship in western Poland with 13,875 inhabitants (2019). It is the capital of Wschowa County and a significant tourist site containing many important historical monuments.
His ...
from 1671. Rules established by the local hatters' guild established that the penalty for charging less than 12 groschen
Groschen (; from la, grossus "thick", via Old Czech ') a (sometimes colloquial) name for various coins, especially a silver coin used in various states of the Holy Roman Empire and other parts of Europe. The word is borrowed from the late Lat ...
for dying a hat was a barrel of Grodziskie.[ In 1694, the nearby city of Poznań listed a bill for expenses that included entries for "Grodzisk beer" at the rate of 15 guilders per barrel that had been purchased as gifts for important people.][ At that cost, it can be seen that the product was valued as a premium beverage, since local beer produced in Poznań at the time cost only five to six guilders per barrel.][ Other records from Poznań in 1712 show that the two mayors of the city were receiving Grodziskie beer as a portion of their compensation for their service.][ By the 18th century, the beverage's reputation had spread throughout Poland, and it became one of the most expensive beers in the country.]
Between 1793, when Grodzisk became part of Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
as a result of the Second Partition of Poland
The 1793 Second Partition of Poland was the second of three partitions (or partial annexations) that ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition occurred in the aftermath of the Polish–Russian War ...
, and 1918, when it became part of a newly independent Poland, the town was renamed Grätz, and the style became known as Grätzer.[ Records show that annual production of the beer in Grätz was about 3,200 barrels (), of which 1,111 barrels were transported to Poznań, 1,581 barrels to other nearby towns, including ]Wschowa
Wschowa (pronounced , german: Fraustadt) is a town in the Lubusz Voivodeship in western Poland with 13,875 inhabitants (2019). It is the capital of Wschowa County and a significant tourist site containing many important historical monuments.
His ...
, Kościan
Kościan (german: Kosten) is a town on the Obra canal in west-central Poland, with a population of 23 952 inhabitants as of June 2014. Situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Leszno Voivodeship (1975–1998), it i ...
, Leszno
Leszno (german: Lissa, 1800–1918 ''Lissa in Posen'') is a historic city in western Poland, within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Previously, it ...
, Rawicz
Rawicz (; german: Rawitsch) is a town in west-central Poland with 21,398 inhabitants as of 2004. It is situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship (since 1999); previously it was in Leszno Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Rawicz C ...
, Bojanowo
Bojanowo (; ''german: Bojanowo'') is a town in Rawicz County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, western Poland. It is the seat of Gmina Bojanowo (commune). As of June 2021, it has a population of 2,895.
History
As part of the region of Greater Poland ...
, Kalisz
(The oldest city of Poland)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = ''Top:'' Town Hall, Former "Calisia" Piano Factory''Middle:'' Courthouse, "Gołębnik" tenement''Bottom:'' Aerial view of the Kalisz Old Town
, image_flag = POL Kalisz flag.svg ...
, and Śmigiel
Śmigiel (german: Schmiegel) is a town in Kościan County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 5,420 inhabitants (2004).
History
Śmigiel was granted town rights in 1415 or perhaps earlier. It was a private town of Polish nobility, adm ...
, and 500 barrels were sold within Grätz.[ In the late 19th century, the beer was being exported into neighboring provinces and other parts of Germany.][ German immigrants moved to Grätz and built modern breweries, breaking the monopoly that had been held by the brewer's guild.] By the 1890s, the five breweries in Grätz produced over of beer,[ with Grätzer produced in the largest quantities.][ It was exported to other parts of Europe and the world and gained fame as a highly valued beverage.][ Its peak of popularity occurred just prior to the second World War, when it was being exported to 37 countries.][
]
Starting in 1922, the production of Grodziskie was continued by only one company, Zjednoczone Browary Grodziskie (United Grodzisk Breweries). Between 1929 and 1993, this style had a regionally protected designation put in place by the cabinet of Poland
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
. Production continued under the German occupation of Poland during World War II, and the beer was distributed to German forces fighting in the war. After the Second World War, the breweries were nationalized, and the beer began a period of decline.[ The communist government in Poland emphasized the large-scale production of basic products like bread, milk, and sugar, and local culinary traditions were neglected. In part, this was due to restrictions on individual businesses and the inability of brewers to profit from the production of small-scale, high-quality foods, and their inability to advertise local goods and specialties.][ In the early 1980s, different variations of the style were created with different colors and alcohol strengths.][ After the Communist period in Poland ended in 1989, production continued under the private ownership of ]Lech Browary Wielkopolski
Lech Browary Wielkopolski (; English: Lech Breweries of Greater Poland) is a big industrial brewery in Poznań, with a production capacity of 7.5 million hl. The plant is owned by Asahi Breweries subsidiary Kompania Piwowarska SA.
History
The ...
,[ but ended in 1993, when the ]brewery
A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of be ...
was closed due to lack of profitability,[ and because of the difficulty in finding workers who had experience producing the style.][ Commercial production of this style ceased for several years,][ but since 2010, some breweries have produced seasonal or limited production runs of the style.]
After the close of the brewery, Grodziskie continued to be brewed by some homebrewers in Poland using 100% smoked wheat.[ In 2011, the Polish Homebrewers Association formed a commission for the revival of the Grodziskie beer.][ Even though the style has taken different forms over the years, the purpose of the commission was to develop guidelines that describe a mild version that former brewery workers could identify, even though some brewers and homebrewers have experimented with variations that include different amounts of alcohol and bitterness.] Grodziskie was defined in the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is an American trade group of over 5,400 brewers, breweries in planning, suppliers, distributors, craft beer retailers, and individuals particularly concerned with the promotion of craft beer and homebrewing.
Two of ...
style guidelines in 2013, and added as a Historical Style to the Beer Judge Certification Program
The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) is a non-profit organization formed in 1985 to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills. The BJCP certifies and ranks beer judges through an examination and monitoring process.
Purpose
The BJCP has ...
style guidelines in 2015.
In 2022, the hugely popular Australian Podcast "The Boss and the Brewer" was inundated by their supporter group "The Twelve" to brew a Grodziskie. It is due for launch on September 16th 2022.![WAYNE GRODZISKIE Polished Smoked Session Ale](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/WAYNE_GRODZISKIE_Polished_Smoked_Session_Ale.jpg)
References
External links
Browar w Grodzisku
a brewery in Grodzisk Wielkopolski, opened in 2015
Grodziskie Redivivus
at the Polish Home Brewers' Association
The Boss and the Brewer Podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grodziskie
Beer styles
Polish cuisine
Beer in Poland
Smoked food