Why You Should Be Drinking Kölsch
Heavy_Kolsch_Beer_Label_by_Inebriati
This story was originally published in Penthouse.
For decades in America, summertime has meant a call to arms—and hands—for icy canned beers such as Bud Light and Coors Light. I love a frosty Silver Bullet tall boy as much as the next parched man sweating at the beach, but when it comes to that elusive balance of flavor and refreshment, I opt for one of Germany’s lesser-known beer styles: kölsch.
Don’t be frightened by the umlaut. The kölsch is as accessible as it is trickily spelled. Hailing from Cologne, Germany, this light, elegant beer is a study in equilibrium, restraint and meticulous craftsmanship. By and large, crisp lagers, whose bottom-fermenting yeasts prefer cooler temperatures, dominate Germany. (They also take longer to ferment, hence the term lager; lagern means to rest in German.) Rarer are ales, whose top-fermenting yeasts favor warmer temperatures, creating fruity flavors (a cloudy hefeweizen is an ale). Like having a three-way with your mistress and your wife, consider a kölsch the best of both worlds.
To develop kölsch’s gentle, lightly fruity profile, the subtly bittered beer is fermented at toastier temperatures. Afterward, a stint of chilly lagering smoothes out the sweet malts and adds a snappy character that’s suited for summertime drinking. The pretty, pale result is traditionally served in a narrow, cylindrical glass called a stange. (When drinking kölsch at a bar in Cologne, brusque waiters called Köbes, who wear blue shirts and long aprons, deliver kölsch in circular trays. They’ll keep bringing you kölsch till you slide a coaster over your glass.)
In the rush to create burly imperial stouts aged in bourbon barrels and dizzying double IPAs made with bales of bitter hops, the subtle pleasures of kölsch are often overlooked. But since this easy-sipping style is so summer-friendly, it’s become an increasing favorite of brewers searching for an offbeat hot-weather offering. “I didn’t want to do a typical golden ale or a corn ale,” says Josh Brewer, the appropriately named brewmaster at Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston, North Carolina. To fit the bill, he created Endless River, a kölsch that is crisp, refreshing and highlighted by a gentle grassy bitterness. “I wanted something with a little more flavor.”
You should too. Check out a few of our favorite cooler-worthy brews and buy a six-pack. Or two. I foresee a kölsch crush in your future.
Alaskan Summer Ale
Though “summer” is not the first word you associate with “Alaska,” the long-running Juneau brewery’s straw-gold ode to sun and fun is a balanced all-day drinker. The smooth, medium-bodied brew offers a touch of malty sweetness and citrusy hops, as well as a crispness that keeps you sipping Summer again and again.
Gaffel Kölsch
Hailing from kölsch’s birthplace of Cologne, this classic German quaff smells of honeysuckle, plum and, ever so lightly, grapefruit. Gaffel’s refreshingly brisk carbonation leads to flavors of bready yeast and earthy hops, which closes with a lemon twist.
Mother Earth Brewing Endless River
Quietly, North Carolina has become one of the county’s brewing meccas. One of my favorites is Mother Earth’s Endless River, which pours as golden as Fort Knox’s finest. It smells of honey-dipped flowers and drinks as crisp as seltzer, with a gorgeous grassy bite.
Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale
While the San Diego brewery is known for its pungently bitter IPAs, it demonstrates deft restraint with this pale ale modeled on kölsch. The golden Yellowtail smells lightly malt-sweet and offers up elegant notes of grass, citrus and fruit. It drinks as easy as iced tea.
Samuel Adams East-West Kölsch
The summertime seasonal from Samuel Adams is a terrific thirst-quencher, presenting a fragrant, herbaceous profile and plenty of biscuits and toast on the tongue. The grassy, lemony character comes courtesy of Alsatian Strisselspalt hops, while the floral aroma is accomplished by aging the beer atop a bed of jasmine flowers.
