The Monarchy Gratzer

When brewer Sebastian Sauer created the experimental revivalist-brewery Freigeist, it was an offshoot of the already tiny experimental Braustelle brewpub, in Cologne. Having found success with Freigeist, he decided to create The Monarchy – an offshoot of the offshoot. Where will it end? No one knows- but what’s certain is that Sebastian and his colleagues will continue to rediscover and update Europe’s lost beer styles, and create new ones along the way.

This recipe, created in collaboration with a Dutch brewer and a pair of beer historians- is based on a beer style once brewed in the Polish town of Grodzisk Wielkopolski. This unusual beer, made with 100% oak-smoked wheat and local Lublin hops, was called “Grodziskie” – or “Grätzer,” during the years when the town was part of Prussia. The Monarchy’s is the only authentic version, using the same ingredients, right down to the original yeast.