Not to jinx my fellow Clevelanders, but it appears finally after a soggy start that summer may indeed be here to stay. That said let me bring to center stage a style for the summer that oftentimes falls by the wayside in the eyes of craftbeer-philes: Kölsch. From a distance, Kölsch-style beer could be confused for a Labatt or Miller Lite, owing to its straw-yellow color and pillowy white head. Even upon closer inspection and flavor evaluation, it may still be tagged as a lager. I have conned many a Bud Light drinker into more than one of these fine ales with no remorse. It is my duty to reveal perhaps the perfect summertime libation.
A few ticks north and around the world rests Germany’s fourth largest city, Köln. It is there that the Kölsch style originates and dominates. The name Kölsch is protected by the Kölsch Konvention and may only be used by the 20 or so brewers in and around the city. The Konvention defines Kölsch as a “light, highly attenuated, hop accentuated, clear top-fermenting Vollbier.” Unfortunately most of those beers aren’t exported to the United States. Perhaps it’s for the best, as the beer is quite fragile and should be consumed within three weeks of production. American craft brewers followed the word Kölsch with "style" in their clever marketing materials and boom!: We’re drinking what is perhaps my favorite session beer. It’s typically brewed with 100 percent pils malt and often generously hopped with German varieties. The fermentation is carried out near 60º F and is the fashion of an ale, meaning that the majority of the fermentative activity occurs in the top two-thirds of the fermenting vessel. It is not “lagered” (cold stored) for any length of time as would be typical of a lager (ie pilsners, Baltic porters, bocks). In short, this style comes out of the gate clean and ready to drink, so let’s get cracking.
My first experience with Kölsch-style ale this year came from the Lexington Brewing Company. They’ve been made famous by their award winning Kentucky Bourbon Ale. On the shelves next to the bourbon ale you’ll see a brand called Kentucky Light (4% abv). Don’t be misled – read the label and you’ll see this is a Kölsch-style ale. The first sip begs for another. Light bodied, with a soft, cracker-like maltiness that is backed by a generous hopping schedule. For such an unassuming beer it is remarkably flavorful. I’d say there’s nothing “light” about this beer, except for the fact that it only houses 124 calories.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m hooked, and why stop with just one? I recall trying the next beer at Bac in Tremont and being blown away with how well it held up to the heat of some of the restaurant's Asian dishes. Harpoon Brewery's Summer (5% abv) is only available April thru August, but what a joy ride. When I drink this beer, I picture a montage of a bottle and I riding roller coasters, eating ice cream and watching the sun go down over the lake all set to some Whitesnake ballad. It’s perfect. Thirst quenching, bubbly, lemony, terribly refreshing, and quite fairly priced.
Third and finally is a beer called Reissdorf Kölsch by Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf. It is from Cologne, Germany, and was first brewed in 1894. This representation of the style is to many the quintessential Kölsch. Very pale yellow, a rocky, dense, white head, layers of softly fruity aromas like lemon and melon, some sulfur on the nose, and a dry, clean malty finish. Weighing in at 4.8% alcohol by volume, one must be careful when food pairing not to overwhelm its fragile nature. It goes stunningly well with a mild fresh mozzarella caprese salad, but switch the standard balsamic for a bright, citrusy white balsamic. Reissdorf kölsch makes a great summer party beverage not only because of its light and delicious flavor, but also because it can be purchased in those cute 5-liter cans (I know for a fact they’re at Warehouse Beverage). [image courtesy of Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf]
I call Kölsch a crossover beer, because it is well received by non-craft beer drinkers (maybe I should call it a gateway beer). There’s no room for error in this brew, there’s nowhere to hide any off flavors or aromas - and that’s why I adore this beer so much. Serve it cold, 46º F or so, and always in a straight sided 200 mL Kölsch glass, because I know we all have a set of those laying around. Prost!
