Germany meets Mexico in this beachy, peachy mocktail
/Summer tastes even better mixed with Partake’s Peach Gose
Goes.
Goze-uh.
Go-SAH.
No matter how you pronounce it, gose is a German beer style that’s always a conversation starter.
(For the record, go-SAH is correct.)
Think of it as the briny brethren of witbier and Berliner Weisse.
Originally brewed in the 13th century in Goslar, a mining town since Roman times, a gose is wheat beer brewed with coriander. It’s a distinctly salty style, originally due to the mineral content of the local water and, nowadays, the addition of salt to the brew. It’s also inoculated with lactobacillus, the bacteria responsible for sourdough, sauerkraut, and everything else that’s sour in the culinary world.
If you think that’s a unique recipe for beer, you’d find many people who agree ⏤ German or otherwise. In fact, gose falls afoul of the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 but is still permitted because of its status as a regional specialty.
Salty, lightly hopped, and usually around 4-5% ABV, gose is a refreshing beer.
Which makes it an ideal candidate for a chelada.
If you think that word doesn’t sound German, you’re right.
A portmanteau of chela (beer) and helada (frozen), a chelada is a deceptively simple yet incredibly refreshing Mexican beer cocktail.
Just rim a mug with salt, fill it with ice, squeeze in a lime or two, and top it with cerveza.
Dios mio. I’m salivating already.
Tasked with turning Partake Brewing’s Peach Gose into a summer-y mocktail, I seized the opportunity to spread the chelada gospel.
(If you drink alcohol-free beer in Canada, you’ve probably tried or at least heard of Partake, so I’ll spare you the preamble.)
On its own, the Peach Gose is a conundrum. Partake takes a sessionable approach ⏤ opting for lower calorie counts over big, bold flavours ⏤ which can leave some drinkers craving more. And when it comes to flavour, goses usually don’t hold back.
A faint whiff of stone fruit and a tickle of spice on the nose fades quickly. An uneven white head forms, but promptly dissipates. The pale beige liquid has a slight haze, and it’s light and tingly on the tongue. The hint of peach, pinch of salt, and splash of sour creates a thirst-quenching, moreish combination.
Try pairing it with grilled white fish, oysters on the half shell, spot prawns, and other fresh, delicately flavoured delicacies from the sea.
I enjoyed a couple cans of Peach Gose on their own but knew that when it came to using it in a mocktail, I’d have to turn the taste up a notch or two.
Enter Okanagan peaches. The highlight of the B.C. summer fruit growing season, Okanagan peaches are juicy, fuzzy, tender globes of earthly sunshine. They’re perfect for canning, flambéing, blending in frozen cocktails like bellinis and daiquiris, and eating whole while the juices run down your arm in a sweet, sticky stream.
I figured they’d also give some punch to a subtly salty, sour, and peachy beer.
With the day at its hottest, I took my handled pint mug from the freezer. I ran a lemon wedge along its rim and dipped it into the salt I’d poured onto a small plate. I tossed in a couple slices of peach, a shot of lemon juice, and an equal amount of simple syrup. After a thorough muddling, I filled the mug with ice and topped it with Peach Gose. I placed another slice of peach on the rim, where it lounged like a tourist on a Mexican playa.
One taste, and I was transported.
Sure, it was only Tuesday. But it tasted like the weekend. Here’s how I made it:
Ingredients
1 can Partake Peach Gose
1/2 a peach cut into thirds, skin removed
1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice
1 oz (30 ml) simple syrup
Salt
Preparation
Rim a beer mug with salt.
Add two slices of peach, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and simple syrup, and muddle. (If you’re using canned peaches, skip the simple syrup and use an ounce of syrup from the can.)
Fill glass with ice.
Top with beer.
Garnish with peach slice. Salud/Prost!
Liam Ford, Contributor
Liam is a poet, writer, and editor with a decade of experience as a bartender under his belt. His mission? To find an alcohol-free craft beer that satisfies his craving for hops.
Peach Gose Chelada
Ingredients
- 1 can Partake Peach Gose
- 1/2 a peach cut into thirds, skin removed
- 1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1 oz (30 ml) simple syrup
- Salt
Instructions
- Rim a beer mug with salt.
- Add two slices of peach, lemon juice, and simple syrup, and muddle. (If you’re using canned peaches, skip the simple syrup and use an ounce of syrup from the can.)
- Fill glass with ice.
- Top with beer.
- Garnish with peach slice. Salud/Prost!
