kölsch
History
The first brewery to use and advertise the name “Kölsch” was the Sünner brewery. They have been brewing Kölsch since 1906 and first advertised it in 1918. However, the history of Kölsch began much earlier and has evolved over many centuries into what we know today.
The first Cologne brewer mentioned in writing was a mead brewer in 1285. The first local Cologne beer was an air-fermented herbal beer brewed without yeast. By 1500, there were 80 brewers in Cologne producing a variety of beers. By the 19th century, there were around 100 breweries in Cologne, most of which brewed top-fermented beer.
In 1873, the first cooling machines came onto the market and it became possible to brew bottom-fermented beer all year round. Top-fermented beer also became less popular. Popularity. Da die Kölner Brauereien aber nur obergäriges Bier brauen konnten weil das Wasser in Köln zu hart war, mussten sie sich etwas einfallen lassen um das obergärige Bier so nah an ein untergäriges heran zu bringen wie möglich. Also begannen Sie es nach dem Brauprozess so zu behandeln als wäre es untergärig: Sie fingen an es zu filtern und nach dem Brauen lange kalt zu lagern.
After the Second World War, there were only left in Colgone two Kölsch breweries.Dom and Sünner. Hans Sion then went to great lengths to promote Kölsch. He obtained brewing licences for the breweries and helped to build up the town and the breweries. He also arranged for top-fermented brewer’s yeast to be brought in from Copenhagen. After the Second World War, this was not available in Germany – the only options were either illegal or in poor quality. Hans Sion also persuaded new master brewers to brew Kölsch. As a result, the number of Kölsch breweries in Cologne rose to 24.
In 1963, the Cologne Regional Court ruled that Kölsch not only referred to the type of beer but also the region of origin. This was confirmed by the Higher Regional Court of Cologne in 1977. From then on, Kölsch could only be brewed in Cologne. The 24 breweries then signed the Kölsch Convention in 1986.
Kölsch convention
Kölsch is actually the only beer in the world that is legally protected as a regional brand. This law, known as the “Kölsch Convention”, came into force in 1986, first as a national law and later as a European Union law. According to this law, Kölsch can only be brewed within the city limits of Cologne. However, there are breweries outside Cologne that legally brew Kölsch and call it Kölsch. They are allowed to do this because they started before 1986, but they lose this privilege as soon as they want to move to the next building. So they either have to stay where they are or move to Cologne.
Of course, this also defines what Kölsch actually is: a mixture of ale and lager. In the world of beer, there are two large families: ales are brewed with a top-fermenting yeast, a yeast that floats on the beer after the brewing process and ferments at temperatures between 15°C and 25°C. Lager beers are brewed with a bottom-fermenting yeast that only ferments up to a temperature of 8°C. The yeast eats the sugar from the malt and secretes alcohol.
Kölsch is brewed like an ale with a top-fermenting yeast and then stored in a cool place to mature like a lager. The correct technical term for Kölsch is “lagerized ale”.
This law also regulates what we drink beer in: the small glasses. The normal size is 200ml. The reason for these small glasses is that Kölsch is traditionally tapped directly from the barrel, not through a tap, which would add extra carbon dioxide. It therefore only has the natural carbon dioxide from the brewing process, and this is not very strong, so the beer goes flat quite quickly. This is also the reason for the cylindrical shape of the glass, as the beer has the least contact with the air, which would draw out the carbon dioxide even faster. It is also protected by the head.
The minimum size allowed for Kölsch is 100ml. If you order it in a pub, it costs the same as a normal Kölsch. Basically, there are only two groups of people who drink the small Kölsch: the owner of a corner pub, if you pay him for a beer, because that way he can get more beers in one evening and make more profit. The second group is really cute to watch: On Sunday mornings, for example in the south of the city, you will meet 80-year-old ladies on their personal pub crawl. They do this either instead of or after church, usually after their husbands have died, so that they can enjoy life again. They go to the various pubs to catch up on the latest gossip, and as they can no longer hold their liquor, they usually drink the small Kölsch.
The maximum permitted size for Kölsch glasses is 400 ml. They are mostly ordered by tourists who think that you have to drink a large beer in Germany. For locals, the only excuse for ordering a large Kölsch is that the Kölsch comes from a tap and the service is super slow.
