Kolsch

Let’s talk about styles baby…

The Kolsch (or Kölsch) beer style is a light pale, very drinkable beer originating from the Cologne (Köln) region in Germany. This style has a European Union protected geographical indication (PGI) meaning that in order for a beer to be called Kolsch, it must be brewed in Cologne. Of course, that PGI only applies in Europe, so you’ll see plenty of American breweries making their own version of a Kolsch style beer.

photo by Wikiuser100 on Wikipedia

The history of kolsch goes back to the 1600s,although it wasn’t called kolsch until the early 1900s. The region of Cologne had always produced their beer using top fermenting yeast, or ale yeast. In the 1600s, neighboring regions began using bottom fermenting yeast to produce their crisp lager style beers. To keep their breweries active against the popularity of these lager types of beers, the local government instigated strict laws regarding the production of beer within the region to only using top fermenting yeast. They even went so far as to ban the sale of bottom fermented beers within the city.

To further combat these other beers, the brewers began fermenting their beers with top fermenting yeast, but then aging the beers in cold cellars, like the bottom fermenting yeast beers were made. It took until 1918 for this style of beer to be called kolsch, used to name a beer manufactured by a particular brewery in Cologne. In 1986, a group of 24 brewers agreed upon the Kölsch Konvention which defined the brewing process and restricted the name to breweries in Cologne and allowed breweries outside the city that had already been approved to use the name kolsch to continue with that designation. Any breweries that are not in Cologne and have not received the prior designation are supposed to call their beer kolsch Style, not just kolsch. The Konvention defines a true kolsch as “a light-colored, highly fermented, strongly hopped, bright, top-fermented Vollbier” and even states that it is to be served in the .2 liter (6oz) Stanton glass, a tall, straight glass designed for kolsch beer.

The beer itself is a hybrid style, using the top fermenting yeast with the cold aging temperatures. The yeast can give a fruity flavor and aroma while the cold aging process gives the beer its crisp, dry mouthfeel. You should also get a good balance of maltiness with those fruity flavors. The coloration of the beer should be a light gold color and it should also be a clear beer, anything hazy is not a kolsch. Overall, this should be a very clean drinking beer, perfect for relaxing by the pool.

• ABV: 3.5% to 5.0% (low to mid alcohol)

• IBU: 18-30 (low bitterness)

• Color: light gold, verging on a sun-bleached straw color