Kölsch, Australian for beer?

by Jeremy Kirby

There comes a time in the spring in Durango when the winter-weary put away their cold weather clothes and heavy winter beers to doff their breezy summer wear and grab beer that’s better suited to cooling a person down than warming them up. Enter the glorious Kölsch; A perfect accompaniment to all outdoor activities.

The Kölsch beer is a very quaffable one with a moderate alcohol level that hovers around 5% ABV. It is usually light hay in color with a very low bitterness, usually just enough to balance the sweetness of malt. It has a clean, light flavor and can taste a bit bready and lightly fruity in the aftertaste. The beer is traditionally drunk out of its own stylized glass, called a Stange, which is a tall, cylindrical glass holding only about 6oz.

Kölsch gets its name from the city of its berth, the German city of Köln (Cologne to all you auslanders), in the Rhine Valley. Located almost equidistant to London, England as well as the continental brewing epicenter of Munich, Bavaria, and a mere 35 miles from the flatlands of both Belgium and the Netherlands, Köln found itself resistant to the lager brewing trends coming out of Bavaria, content with brewing with the traditional bittering herbs of its Belgian neighbor and later sticking with the top fermented ales of Belgium and the British Isles. In fact, they held their ale so dear that in the year 1603 and again in 1698 the brewers of the city had to take an oath, under order of the government, to brew only top-fermented beer (ale) “using good malt, cereal, and good hops. No bottom fermenting yeast (lager) and no noxious herbs.” The brewers and the provincial government of the time took this vow so seriously that brewers who made lagers were banished to outside the city walls.

The style proper appeared around 1900 and nowadays is the main, if not only, beer available through the roughly 14 breweries and brewpubs of Köln. It is such a local staple, that if you order any other kind of beer, the locals will greet you with looks that range from amusement to outright indignation. The only other place in Germany that holds their local style so closely to their heart is, amusingly, set only 20 miles away. Maybe it is because of its close proximity, but the town of Düsseldorf, and their famous Alt Beer, has a brewing history that closely resembles that of Köln in that they both stuck to traditional ales in the face of the lager revolution. One thing a person never wants to do when there is order a Kölsch in Düsseldorf or vice-versa. If you ever find yourself in the upper Rhine Valley, do yourself a favor and stick to the local beverage.

A beer as light and delicate as this deserves food of the same likeness. If you’re planning a meal around the beer, match it with seafood like delicate fish, lobster, clams or crab. It also makes a great breakfast beer when matched with eggs and especially omelets. Salads are also a fine choice for the beer. Actually, this beer is so light and refreshing it can pair with just about anything with some degree of success.

Finally, Do yourself a favor and get into Steamworks Brewing and try their award winning version of the beer. In just the last 12 months this beer has picked up a silver medal at the Great American Beer Fest, a bronze at the Australian International Beer Awards (take that, Fosters), and most recently another silver at the Brewers Association World Beer Cup, 2008 held in San Diego, California this April.

And in local beer news…

Durango Brewing Company has opened their “Grill Your Own” cooking facilities, a place where you can cook your own Burger, Brat or Dog to your own high standard of perfection. The items on the menu range from $4.50 to $5.75 and include a bag o’ chips and your choice of condiments. They also suggest a certain house beer to go with your choice of food. Veggie Burgers are available and the bulk of the meat on the menu comes from Durango’s James Ranch, so go eat and drink green. Just be careful when you cook, fire can sometimes be hot.

While you’re in the tap room check out what’s on cask. DBC just got a shipment of new firkins for making cask conditioned ales. With more firkins available, look for more styles available. They will be tapping a new cask every Thursday, so get there early and drink it fresh. DBC has just released their summer seasonal, a blueberry wheat available on tap and in six packs wherever Durango Brewing Co. beers are sold.

Ska Brewing Company has released their great Mexican Logger, a style from Old Mexico that’s great for sucking down on a warm summer day. Coming in at only 5% ABV and 110 skinny calories, have a couple… you deserve it. Also coming up is the next beer in their local series. This time it is the Import Style Pils, another great summer style originating in the Bohemian area of Europe.

Steamworks Brewing Company is teaming up with Ska to brew the famous Faceplant American Pale Ale to be released on the Friday of Iron Horse Weekend. This is the 13th annual brew and it will come in at about 5% ABV. Look for it at Steamworks in Durango and the Ska Taproom in a few weeks.

The patio is going strong at the Carver Brewing Company. Stop by and drink a few pints of their popular Raspberry Wheat Ale while soaking up some sweet, sweet sun. Also showing up on tap is their delicious India Pale Ale and in late May the Carvers Hefeweizen, another excellent summer drink. •