According to my most recent Instagram story poll, most of you readers probably do not know was a Gose is. I know, you got me, I’m inferring data from a small sample size because of my relatively small following on Instagram. I’m sure my self-deprecation is not hooking you into reading this article any further but hear me out. Gose is the next IPA. Full stop. Give it a few years, it’s going to take some time for Calgarians to get over their overly hopped ales and embrace a beer style that to some resemble an accidental swig of a mildly seasoned poultry brine in a used margarita glass chased with a Bud Light. Okay, Gose is not that extreme, but to summarize, it’s a style of beer with the following characteristics. It’s salty, cloudy and sour. Sounds bad right, like, spoiled bad? Again, hear me out.

First off, yes it is seasoned but it’s not quite like drinking seawater, it’s more like, a Margarita, or a Gatorade, even our beloved Caesars! Now it doesn’t sound too bad when you put it in that context right? Secondly, it’s a wheat beer, which almost all Calgary microbreweries have a version of. Cloudy with a light and refreshing taste and minimal hoppiness, sometimes with a bit of coriander spicing. Thirdly, a little bit of sour. Not as offputting as those kettle sour beers that these self-proclaimed beer sommeliers jump for joy over, but a little splash of natural citrus to balance the saltiness of the water. That’s a Gose and Friday I’m in love. They are tough to find, and I only know one Calgary based brewery that is producing Gose, Wild Rose Brewery with their Ponderosa Gose.

Here are 4 reasons I think Gose is poised to be the next IPA:

It’s so Millennial.

We love our weird, crazy, quirky stuff. A Bud Light just doesn’t cut it for most Millennials these days much like a good old legion-style Caesar doesn’t either. A Caesar these days needs to have burgers and bacon and corn dogs hanging off it. What’s more Millennial than a beer that sounds disgusting at first glance but tastes like heaven at first sip? That’s sophistication.

It’s prolific in America It’s everywhere in the US.

It’s a growing style in American markets and like heat rises so do trends. We are always subject to what’s going on and the things our southern neighbours are raving about.

Less hangover potential.

Look at it this way. The limited hoppiness of a Gose and the injection of electrolytes and salt into your digestive system as your drinking will make your hangover more manageable. Imagine how great you’d feel if you’d have drunk a pint of Gatorade for every drink the night before? That’s somewhat possible with Gose.

Healthy(er).

We all know alcohol in excess is bad but the healthiest drinks are the ones with the least calories on top of the actual intoxicating alcohol. Dry wines are a better choice than sweet wines. Rye and soda is better than Rye and coke. Gose is a better choice than IPA. It has less calories, less carbs, and less hops. There’s some new studies suggesting hops are not good for our body, and can increase estrogen levels. I know, buzzkill but I continue to consume IPA, like everything else, in moderation.

So, why not ask your local bartender or server about Gose (cue the big pharma music). I’m always asking for it, and they still are figuring out what it is but that’s the way it Gose.

Fact: Gose is pronounced goh-ZUH. I was messing it up for the longest time pronouncing it like “goes”. It’s named after Gosler, Germany where the beer style originated from because of the naturally salty and mineralized water in the region.