Grodziskie

Ok, because it was bugging me, I had to look it up. Earthen Ales in Traverse City has the Piwo Grodziskie on tap.

 

Love what I have had. A local brewery did a good one this past summer:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/38904/401483/

 

The Live Oak one is legit, not a beer that you pound. I haven't had this in over a year because it is tough to find in Houston, but I remember it having a slight tartness on finish reminiscent of lemon. I picked this up on one that I had when I was in Poland also, it is very mild and non lingering. This style is really about the smoke.

 

BA lists 72, there may be others with name variations.

 

Meaning listed on BA but using a name that doesn't contain 'Grodziskie.' I'm certain my local brewery (Territorial, a German-inspired brewery) brewed a grodziskie several years ago, but I don't recall the name and BA doesn't have a style name called grodziskie and I can't find it under smoked beers or other possible catch-all style names. Suffice to say the style does get brewed per all of the examples cited above.

 

I've had the ones from Dovetail and Live Oak as well as examples from Prof. Fritz, Westbrook, and some local one-offs. At this point I'm willing to say I don't care for the style and am moving on.

 

Clandestine Brewing in San Jose has one currently on tap, first time I’d heard of the style.

 

If they are a German ‘inspired’ brewery they may have used the German language name for this beer: Grätzer (Graetzer)?

Cheers!

 

You know what? I think they did, but knowing that still doesn't help me find that beer on their brewery page. I must not have added it because I couldn't make it fit a style name. I'll probably be over there tomorrow or Friday and I'll ask them the beer's name. This is going to bug me until I know which beer it was.

 

Feels like when this style first started to get some attention nearly every example I saw was labeled as a Grätzer rather than Grodziskie. Might just be a coincidence, but I recall reading about the style in Zymurgy around 2013. The next thing I knew, they were popping up everywhere.

 

It was that article that first 'planted a seed' for me to homebrew a Grodziskie. I am fortunate to be friendly with Stan Hieronymus and he patiently responded to my numerous queries about brewing process aspects. Grodziskie has a fairly simple ingredient list but it is a complicated beer to brew from a mashing process perspective (at least by the way I decided to brew it).

Cheers!

 

Sketchbook in Evanston has one that they have canned

 

Samsquamch Block Party?
Looks like they do call it a Grätzer.

 

On the Territorial web site this beer is listed as being a Lichtenhainer:

“Samsquamch – 2016 Gold Medal recipient

We are excited to announce that Territorial Brewing Company has won a GOLD medal for Samsquamch Block Party at The Best of Craft Beers in Bend, Oregon.

This award was given in the Historical Beer category for Samsquamch’s “Delightfully smokey sourness that best illustrates the Lichtenhainer style”.”

http://territorialbrewing.com/samsquamch-2016-gold-medal-recipient/?age-verified=c2bb534df2

Cheers!

 

I know what you mean, and things seemed to shift to "Grodziskie." Take a look at Off Color talking about their beer called 15 Feet for some context:

 

Speaking of 15 feet from Off Color- (I logged in to add it to the discussion, but got sniped). I love that beer. 100% applewood smoked wheat, 3.2% - if they brewed it regularly, I’d always have some in the fridge.

To the powers that be at OC- it’s time for it to make an appearance again.

 

Yeah, I thought it could be that but I didn't see the style name Grätzer used and the description of a sour character threw me because I read in one of the descriptions above that a Grodziskie (Grätzer) should not be sour.

Jack, you got into a section of the website that I didn't visit to see this clarification. Now it becomes a question about what is a 'Lichtenhainer style' and whether it may somehow be a version of a Grätzer. More to come after I talk with the brewer.

 

Kent Falls makes one called Anachronism that's kind of along those lines, fermented with their "farmhouse yeast" blend; it's more wild than sour, however. In all honesty, I prefer to think of it as a smoked grisette rather than a Grodziskie. Especially after having Live Oak's.