Ghostfish Brewing Gosefish Hibiscus-Cranberry Ale

July 31, 2017 Lindsi Cagan

The Hibiscus-Cranberry Gosefish

Brewed by Ghostfish Brewing

This is a pretty special review. Why? Because this Gosefish is the first GF Gose I’ve ever gotten my hands on. First of all, many of you gluten free-ers may be wondering…what exactly is a Gose ale.

Gose ― pronounced like goes with an “uh” at the end ― is an ancient wheat beer style with a sour finish that hails from Goslar, Germany. Though it’s no longer brewed in Goslar, Gose owes its salty flavor to the high salinity of the river Gose, which was originally used to brew the beer. -www.huffingtonpost.com

Goses are characterized by their sour and salty flavor. Needless to say, this is a style not often attempted by gluten free brewers. A typical Gose contains at least a 50% grain bill of malted barley. Quite the quest to turn this into a gluten free-from-scratch creation.

The Taste Test

Gosefish – A Hibiscus Cranberry Gose

It pours a crystal clear ruby red color. You can read the Gosefish bottle through the brew. Its head evaporated quickly after I poured it. The aroma is sharp, tart and fruity. Mmmm…smells like summer!

This Gosefish brings me back to Mexico, where they drink homemade Hibiscus iced teas on the regular. I feel like it’s not as common in the States, but the hibiscus and cranberry notes in this Gosefish are delightful! It’s flavor has a soft sweetness but is dominated by sour and salty characteristics. The saltiness makes me feel like I’m near the ocean. (I’m actually 4,000 feet up in the high desert, so I obviously have quite the imagination.)

This Ghostfish Brewing creation is brewed with a combination of malted millet, malted rice, and quinoa grains. It also contains coriander, which is typical of the Gose style. It’s a very unique beer…probably one of those ales that fall in the “you either love it, or you hate it” category. In my case, I LOVE IT. I would happily drink this sour all summer.

It’s available during the summer in 22 ounce bottles, or by growler fill. If you consider yourself a salt–or sour lover, you’re definitely going to want to get your hands on this brew. It’s a one-of-a-kind in my opinion. Well done Ghostfish Brewing…you conquered yet another challenging style of wheat beer–the gluten free way. You deserve a Gosefish!

Cheers!