So this is Dutch Courage (Grolsch Premium Pilsner)

Member Name: whitby

Product:	Grolsch Premium Pilsner
Date:	11/11/01 (548 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, Strongish, Distinctive Bottles

Disadvantages: Tacky Reputation, Tastes Bitter

I'm not a lager lout, honestly,

I know, bang goes my circle of trust! Having declared my undying love for Budweiser this morning here I am writing an opinion about Grolsch. What has happened?

Well to be honest three bottles of Bud and three Blue WKDs is what has happened. I’ve come home to see how my Bud op is doing and hey – the only lager around was a can of Grolsch.

Hence the inspiration and opinion that you find before you.

Well, that covers the why I bought it part of the op!

I’m sitting here with my can and computer drowning my sorrows (Paul has gone clubbing it without me – Huh!*!). I’ve already watched Pop Idols on TV and now Cilla’s Blind Date is on.

Am I waffling? It must be the drink – a matter I must get back to describing.

Apart from the above explanation, another reason why Grolsch is in my house is because Sainsbury’s have a “special deal” on at the moment and my Mum (kind soul) bought twelve cans for the price of eight. They are usually priced at £4.98 for 4 so with this offer it works out at 83p per can which can’t be argued at as the beer is a 5% specimen.

This and the fact my Dad down loaded a screen saver from the website is about the only incentive we had to buy.

Grolsch is brewed in Groenlo in Holland and their web site provides a virtual tour describing the process from Barley to Grolsch which is quite interesting. Of course the specific can I am drinking is brewed in the UK for Grolsch UK Ltd, Stoke on Trent.

The ingredients are water, malted barley and hops as listed on the can, but surely there must be more to it, don't you think?

There are special grolsch offers to be had such as the Grolschware kit offer, which includes a grolsch glass, bottle opener, drinks coaster and beer skimmer for £4.95. But this does not excite me too much.

In a previous Gro
lsch opinion Jackie-b commented on the fact that Grolsch reminds her of the band Bros – the fans used to hang the wackily deisgned bottle tops from their shoes – this probably is the most interesting thing about it!

Speaking of which and calling any remaining Bros fans:

If you visit their web site www.grolsch.com you have the chance to join their virtual swingtop collectors club and as a regular visitor to the web site you collect points (known as swingtops) you can then redeem these points in the Grolsch shop. These are items such as posters and trucks (no free beer) and to be honest they seem quite heavily priced.

I have noticed that Grolsch is not like any other lager brands in that it tends to support home (Netherlands) events only.

My local Wetherspoons bar has been known to sell the small bottles for 99p and I'm not surprised. As you can probably tell Grolsch is not my favourite drink. But as it’s cheap and going free I am indulging at the moment but I would not go and buy it myself.

I apologise if this opinion is not in my usual tone - it must be the beer talking.

It must be better than I thought!

Further information at www.grolsch .com
Telephone 0845 7112244 (local rate)

Summary: