The Döllnitzer Ritterguts Gose Tradition Is Revived

On September 9, 1999, the historic Ritterguts Gose tradition was formally revived after an interruption of more than fifty years. Homebrewer Tilo Jänichen had begun studying historical accounts and experimenting with Gose in 1996. By early 1999, he had developed a successful version of the beer, and the traditional Ritterguts Gose enterprise was reestablished later that year. Brewmaster Armin Brandt adapted the brewing process for commercial production at the Leipzig brewpub Zum Kaiser Napoleon, where the first trial batch was made. Ritterguts Gose was initially distributed in wooden barrels to only four restaurants, but demand soon expanded. The revival restored the commercial tradition associated with the former Rittergut Döllnitz brewery, which had been expropriated and dismantled in 1945.