Style Information

Kölsch is a local specialty in Cologne, Germany. It has less hop bitterness that other German styles, and is more related in brewing style to Altbier (top-fermented at a warmer temperature and lagered). The color of a "true" Kölsch should be pale yellow to straw gold. The aroma has notes of subtle wheat/malt sweetness and possibly a light fruit tone. Low hop notes should be apparent. The taste should also have a subtle wheat/malt sweetness, with a slight hop bitterness that may mot be apparent in the smell. The feel should be light and crisp. ABV should be 4.8% to 5.3%. IBUs should be low at 18 to 25. From Wikipedia: "In the year 1396, the Brewer Gaffel signed, with 21 other Guilds, a document called the Kölner Verbundbrief, that set up a new democratic constitution of the free city, which terminated the rule of the nobles over the citizens, and held until 1796, when the army of Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Cologne. The term Kölsch was officially used for the first time in 1918 to describe the type of beer that had been brewed by the Sünner brewery since 1906. This type of beer developed from the similar, but cloudier variant Wiess (White)... Kölsch is the only beer that may not be brewed outside the Cologne region, as determined by the Kölsch convention of 1986. There is a grandfather clause for a few breweries in the larger area, for example in Bonn, that were already established as of 1986. In 1997 Kölsch became a protected designation of origin, expanding this protection to the entire EU and several countries outside the EU. Nevertheless many brands are brewed abroad on a small scale - especially in the U.S. and Japan. While the labeling of these brews as Kölsch may be legal in local law, it is certainly misleading, as Kölsch-style ales brewed outside the Cologne area are not guaranteed to use the same ingredients and brewing processes, and might therefore differ in their flavor and aroma profile. Further, they may not be compliant with the Provisional German Beer Law, the current implementation of the Reinheitsgebot."

Glassware	Description
Mug	Typically very heavy and sturdy. A mug (or stein) is most commonly made of glass or stoneware. Traditionally German, one advantage is clinking glasses together without worrying about breaking th... [more]
Pilsner Glass	Pilsener glasses are primarily designed for serving pilseners, but they do well with many other lighter beer styles also. They tend to start with a short neck at the bottom and taper unwards to ... [more]
Pint Glass	Pint glasses are what most people recognize as a typical beer glass. There are actually three different types of pint glasses - shaker pints, nonic pints and tulip pints. The shaker ... [more]
Stange	A Stange is the preferred glass shape for the serving of Kölsch. Altbier is traditionally served in a Becher, which although slightly shorter and fatter than a Stange is similar in shape. Both u... [more]

	Beer	Consumed
1.	Summertime by Goose Island	57
2.	Krankshaft Kölsch by Metropolitan Brewing	47
3.	Karousel Kolsch by Flat12 Bierwerks	34
4.	Lawn Mower Beer by Saint Arnold Brewing Company	24
5.	Kid Kolsch by New Glarus Brewing Company	18
6.	Movable Yeast Series - Weedwacker by Saint Arnold Brewing Company	14
7.	Kolsch 45 by Short's Brewing Company	11
8.	Kölsch by Dovetail Brewery	8
9.	Summer Ale by Summit Brewing Company	7
10.	Unchained Series - Kolsch by Summit Brewing Company	7

	Beer	Avg Score
1.	Lawn Mower Beer by Saint Arnold Brewing Company	82
2.	Endless River by Mother Earth Brewing	82
3.	Unchained Series - Kolsch by Summit Brewing Company	81
4.	Crystal Ale by Big Sky Brewing Company	80
5.	Reissdorf Kolsch by Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf	78
6.	Kolsch by Blue Mountain Brewery	78
7.	Colorado Kolsch by Steamworks Brewing Co.	76
8.	Gateway Kolsch by French Broad Brewing Co.	76
9.	Spring Ale by Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)	74
10.	Zommerfest by August Schell Brewing Co., Inc.	72