Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose

Tasting Notes

The aroma leads with fresh watermelon and a faint brininess, like sea air on a fruit stand. On the palate, tart lactic acidity anchors the melon sweetness, keeping it from tipping into candy territory, while a mild saltiness rounds out the back end. The body is light and effervescent. The finish is clean, slightly saline, and dries out quickly — the fruit impression fades faster than you expect, which is a good thing.

About the Brewery

Anderson Valley Brewing Company is based in Boonville, California, in the Anderson Valley wine country of Mendocino County, founded in 1987. They built their reputation on accessible, well-made ales — particularly the Boont Amber and Brother David's Abbey-style beers — before expanding into sour and specialty fruit formats. Their Gose lineup, including this watermelon variant, has become one of their more visible product lines nationally.

Food Pairings

Grilled shrimp tacos work well here because the saltiness in the beer echoes seasoned seafood without overwhelming it. A light cucumber and feta salad plays off the briny, tart character cleanly. Spicy Thai papaya salad finds a counterpoint in the fruit-forward acidity. Fresh oysters on the half shell are a natural match — the salinity aligns almost deliberately. Mild goat cheese on a plain cracker lets the beer's subtle complexity do the talking without competition.

Style Guide

Gose is a German wheat ale style originating in Goslar and later associated with Leipzig, characterized by deliberate salting and the addition of coriander during brewing, plus a mild lactic sourness. ABVs typically run low, in the 4–5% range, and the body is light with a lively carbonation. What sets Gose apart from other sour styles like Berliner Weisse is that salt and herb addition — it gives the beer a savory edge that pure acidity alone doesn't produce. Fruit-adjunct versions, now common in American craft brewing, layer in sweetness while leaning on that tartness and brine as a structural backbone.