Grolsch is made in Groenlo, where beer has been brewed for 375 years now. At the end of the 19th century the brewery became the property of the family Groen. In three generations they made the local brewery grow into a national company, that later on became strongly internationalised.
The Grolsch beer has stayed the same throughout the years, with the exception that nowadays it is brewed at the highest possible technological level.
The 'normal' pilsener, Grolsch Premium Pilsener, is available in 'pijpjes' (standard beer bottles) and the recappable bottles mentioned above. The caps on the recappable stoppered bottles, or 'plopjes', used to be made of porcelain but are now made of plastic (polypropylene).
The funny thing about Grolsch is that it's a very normal kind of beer to order in The Netherlands, while abroad it's a specialty beer. This makes for funny scenes where Dutch people are very amazed at the price and presentation of the beer they just ordered (I heard of a pub in Ireland where the Grolsch had its own little fridge and its own special beer mats).
Apart from the pilsener, Grolsch brews:
- Grolsch 2.5, a light beer with a lower alcohol percentage (2.5%). This beer is also available with lemon or pink grapefruit flavour.
- Lentebok (Spring Bock), a bock beer brewed only in spring containing 6.5% alcohol
- Zomergoud (Summer Gold), a summer beer with a faint lemon and elderberry flavour, 5%
- Herfstbok (Autumn Bock), a red bock beer for the autumn, 6.5%
- Wintervorst (Winter King), a winter beer made with honey, orange rind and clover, 7,5%
- Grolsch Special Malt, a malt beer with only 0.1% alcohol
- Oud Bruin (Old Brown), a dark beer with a full, sweet taste, 2.5%
- Gladiator
- Het Kanon (The Cannon), a powerful beer with 11,5% alcohol
On the Grolsch website (www.grolsch.nl) you can find information on their products and promotions, as well as a Beer Guide to Amsterdam.