Beer Styles

So what exactly is Kölsch? A pale, top-fermented, brilliantly clear Vollbier with delicate fruit and a dry finish. Original gravity, meaning the sugar content of the wort before fermentation, sits at 11 to 12.4 percent. According to BJCP guidelines, alcohol content ranges between 4.4 and 5.2 percent ABV, which is rather middling for a beer of this class.

How does Kölsch differ from Pils? Pils is bottom-fermented, carries more bitterness, and comes across sharper. Kölsch is top-fermented, milder in the finish, and lightly fruity. The beer looks like a pale lager but tastes different, because the yeast contributes different aromas. Order 'a Kölsch' in Cologne and you'll get it served in the Stange without having to ask. The neighboring city of Düsseldorf offers the counter-example: Altbier is also top-fermented, but darker and distinctly more bitter.

Kölsch also has an intermediate form worth knowing: 'Wieß.' The name refers to the pale top-fermented beer that was already being brewed in Cologne before the term Kölsch came into use. Today it survives mainly as a word steeped in tradition, and it helps explain the history of the style. Modern brewhouses rarely use it for their standard beer.

How much alcohol does Kölsch have? Usually between 4.4 and 5.2 percent ABV. Individual beers can fall outside this range, since the spans from the guidelines are competition benchmarks, not fixed recipe rules. For an exact figure, check the label. The difference between Kölsch and Alt is also visible right away in the color: straw-yellow versus copper, with Alt adding a noticeably stronger bitterness on top.