Tyskie Gronie Beer Review - Taste of the Summer?

June 4, 2023 Cameron Mackenzie

As we finally head into Summer properly, this means it’s time to consider the important questions again, ones like “Wait, which lagers do I like again? I’ve forgotten since last summer….” and maybe, it’s time to try some new ones. Which brings us to our subject today, Tyskie Gronie.

For many, Tyskie is a well known name and brewery, a national fixture of the Polish beer scene and very widely available. For me, it’s new and exciting, but I was happy to commit to a 650ML bottle and go on a new lager adventure.

Tyskie Brewery, located in the town of Tychy in southern Poland, is one of the country's oldest and largest breweries. Not far off celebrating its 400th birthday, it was founded in 1629, so has survived numerous wars and political upheavals over the centuries. Today, Tyskie is part of the Asahi Group, having been acquired in 2017 to bolster the Japanese giant's presence in Europe.

The brewery also produces a core range of other lagers and seasonal brews widely available in its native Poland and some of which can be found beyond. Tyskie Klasyczne is the classic lager the brewery has produced since 1629 in some form. Debowe Mocne is a stronger 7% full bodied beer very popular in Poland, and Ksiazece Ciemne Lagodneis the breweries dark lager.

But Gronie remains the most widely available Tyskie beer, especially globally, where it is often simply known as by the brewery name Tyskie. Tyskie Gronie, is a pale lager that has been brewed since 1956. The name "Gronie" is derived from the Polish word "groń," which means "hill" or "slope." The beer is named after the nearby hill of Paprocany, which overlooks the town of Tychy.

Tyskie Gronie is reportedly brewed using traditional methods and high-quality ingredients, including water from a nearby well and locally-grown hops. The beer is fermented using a bottom-fermenting yeast strain, which gives it a clean, crisp taste and a smooth, refreshing finish. Tyskie Gronie has won numerous awards over the years, including a gold medal at the prestigious World Beer Cup in 2014.

Upon opening the bottle, the fresh aroma of the beer strikes you immediately, both unique in a way, but unmistakably lager. It pours quite thinly with a very light bubbly head to it, which can dissipate quickly. The beer has a light golden colour and a medium body, with a moderate amount of carbonation, which personally suits me as I am not a massive fan of the fizz. It has a much richer taste than one might have expected from the pour, almost caramel like, which builds the more you drink and lingers well. Which, at 5% you could find you do want to enjoy several. It definitely has that hot day refreshment feel that lager can have at its best.

Tyskie Gronie compares well with other mainstay summer lagers for me, ones such as Modello or Mahou are fine comparisons. I am also certain it would satisfy many lager drinkers year round. I will definitely be seeking it out across the course of this summer.

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