On Saturday, a tour of Grolsch’s factory in Enschede ended with a German trauma team being called in and 11 people in hospital. Why? That’s the big question.
The 11 people have now been released from hospital, with one staying overnight, according to NOS. However, what exactly led to the hospital visit is still under investigation.
Possibly drank sodium hydroxide
As NOS reports, the visitors and two employees underwent check-ups by emergency services after taking a sip of spring water used to brew beer during their visit to the factory.
A Grolsch spokesperson tells NOS, “Someone said: that tastes weird.” According to RTVOost, it was suspected that sodium hydroxide was in the water. For anyone who doesn’t know: this is a highly corrosive substance.
Speaking with the outlet, one of the tour participants says the victims may have suffered burns to their esophagus, throat, and stomach.
“We were given shot glasses filled with the special spring water, and we got a burning sensation in our stomachs,” the victim tells RTVOost.
Still safe to knock back a Grolsch
For now, a police investigation is still underway, and Grolsch is remaining tight-lipped about a possible cause.
A police spokesperson tells NOS that it could have been a simple accident, “or something else could be going on.”
One thing Grolsch is willing to say, is that their beer is still safe to drink. According to a spokesperson, the tap from which the victims drank is completely separate “from beer production and beer products. Quality and safety were not, and have never been, compromised.”
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