Gambrinus

This article is about the legendary king of Flanders. For the beer brewed by Plzeňský Prazdroj, see Gambrinus (beer).

Gambrinus is a legendary king of Flanders, and an unofficial patron saint of beer or beer brewing. Gambrinus is variously depicted as a European king, as an English knight of the Middle Ages, or (less commonly) as a plump old man. Gambrinus' birthday is purported to be April 11.

Drawing of Gambrinus on a barrel holding two beer steins

The origin of the character is most widely believed to be John the Fearless (1371–1419), who some also believe to be the inventor of hopped malt beer. However, other sources report that one of the cup-bearers in the court of Charlemagne (742–814) was also called Gambrinus. In 1543, the German poet Burkart Waldis wrote of Gambrinus, explaining that Gambrinus learned the art of brewing from Isis, the ancient Egyptian goddess of motherhood and fertility.

It is also possible that the original Gambrinus was Duke John I of Brabant (1254-1298), who was called Jan Primus.

Other possible Latin etymologies of the name include cambarus (cellarer) and ganeae birrinus (one who drinks in a tavern). Plzeňský Prazdroj, brewer of the Gambrinus lager, endorses the explanation that the name is a corruption of Jan Primus (John the First), referring to John I, Duke of Brabant. Alternatively, Gambrinus may be a corruption of the name Gambrivius. Although less likely, Gambrinus might also derive from camba, a word from the Celtic language family that refers to a brewer's pan.

Because of Gambrinus' significance, numerous European and North American brewers have appropriated the character for their beer brands. In addition, several notable breweries are named for Gambrinus:

• In Belgium, the Cantillon Brewery of Brussels brews a framboise called Rosé de Gambrinus, and uses Gambrinus in their logo.
• In Canada, The Gambrinus Malting Corporation is based in Armstrong, British Columbia.
• In the Czech Republic, Pilsner Urquell Brewery brews their Gambrinus beer.
• In France, a brewery in Mulhouse, Alsace brews a beer called Gambrinus.
• In Mexico, Grupo Modelo brews Cerveza Victoria, which depicts Gambrinus on the label.
• In Romania, Gambrinus beer has been brewed in Bucharest since 1869. The beer is now a brand of Heineken Romania.
• In Spain, the brewery Cruzcampo, now a subsidiary of Heineken International, employs Gambrinus as its corporate mascot.
• In the United States, there is the Gambrinus Company of San Antonio, Texas and the Gambrinus Brewing Co. of Oshkosh, Wisconsin (not to be confused with the defunct Gambrinus Brewing Company of Columbus, Ohio).

See also

• Arnold of Soissons
• Arnulf of Metz
• Ninkasi

References

1. ^ - "Král Gambrinus ve velíně". Gambrinus brewery web site (Czech). Archived from the original on 2005-10-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20051025132622/http://www.gambrinus.cz/piva/skola/clanek-pivo-2005-08-20.php. Retrieved 2005-12-06.