Reissdorf Kolsch

Around this time of year a lot of microbreweries are promoting their summer seasonal beers.  You'll notice that lately many of these summer offerings are described as "Kolsch."  I do not like this trend, for reasons that have nothing to do with the beer itself.  In fact, many of these American kolsches are excellent brews; I would particularly recommend New Holland's Full Circle Kolsch (straight outta Holland, Michigan - ancestral home of the Goodwin family).  I also recently tried Sam Adam's East-West Kolsch, which was a solid light ale with an interesting addition of jasmine.  My problem with these brews has nothing to do with taste - it's more about geography.

Kolsch is the adjectival form of Koln, a city in western Germany that we know by the French spelling of Cologne.  In addition to being the namesake of men's fragrances, Cologne is also renowned for a unique type of beer that its brewers have been crafting for generations.  The word kolsch refers specifically to this beer, which was (until recently) only brewed in Cologne.  I know this makes me sound like Rob Lowe's character from Wayne's World, but the seasonal summer ales offered by American microbreweries don't really count as kolsch in the same way that most sparkling wines don't count as champagne.  ("Ah yes, it's a lot like 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'.  In many ways it's superior, but will never be as recognized as the original.")

German kolsch beers are golden or straw-colored and light in body.  In appearance (and, to some extent, in taste) they resemble classic continental pilsners.  Beyond this general outline, however, the kolsch product varies widely from brewery to brewery according their individual traditions and preferences.  Some kolsches are brilliantly clear, while others are cloudy due to the addition of a small amount of wheat.  Similarly, some have a strong all-malt flavor (similar to pilsners) while others are sweeter and closer in taste to wheat beers.  They employ varying amounts of noble German hops, which can impart different degrees of earthy hop flavor (though they are not particularly bitter as a general rule).  The most distinctive characteristics of kolsch, however, are derived from the yeast strains used to ferment them.

There are two main families of yeast used by brewers: ale yeast and lager yeast.  One of the most important technical distinctions between these two families has to do with temperature.  Generally, ale yeast is fermented around room temperature (70 to 80 degrees) while lager yeast is fermented at cool temperatures (around 50 to 55 degrees).  Kolsch is considered a "hybrid" beer, meaning it is a cross between an ale and a lager.  Kolsch brewers use unique strains of ale yeast that have been passed down through generations of brewers in Cologne.  Unlike standard ale yeasts, kolsch yeasts thrive at cooler temperatures and kolsch beers are usually fermented anywhere from 60-70 degrees.  Many kolsch brewers also age their beer in cold storage for extended periods of time (a process that is usually reserved for making lagers).  The kolsch yeast produces strong and interesting flavors (like many ale yeasts do) while the cooler fermentation temperature makes for a smooth, lager-like finish.  Taken as a whole, the character imparted is usually described as refreshing and sweet with a subtle fruity flavor.

Taverns in Cologne have probably been brewing a "kolsch-like" product for centuries.  It wasn't until 1905, however, that the style was formalized and began being officially referred to as kolsch.  Over 40 small breweries were producing kolsch for the local market in the 1920s and 1930s, though the style never garnered much attention outside of its hometown.  Cologne was heavily bombed by Allied forces during World War II and only two kolsch breweries were left in business by the end of the war.  But the style made a roaring comeback on the German beer market during the latter half of the 20th century, peaking in the early 1980s.  During this time an assortment of breweries in Germany and abroad were producing light ales and branding them as "kolsch" to capitalize on the popularity of kolsch name.  In 1986 an association of brewers in Cologne established the Kolsch Konvention, a set of guidelines to restrict the number of breweries who could brew kolsch and protect the integrity of the style.  Currently, there are only about 20 breweries in Cologne that are authorized to produce a true, official kolsch.

The bad news is that if you want to sample an authentic kolsch served in the traditional way, you'll probably have to go to Cologne and pay one of those breweries a visit.  It will be served to you in a tall, narrow glass called a stange.  The shape of the stange is designed to create a thick head and retain carbonation (sort of like a champagne flute).  The good news is that over the past decade a few authorized kolsch breweries have begun bottling their product and exporting it to the United States.

One of the pioneers of this movement is the Reissdorf Brewery.  Heinrich Reissdorf, a Cologne-based entrepreneur, founded his brewery in 1894 and was one of the first brewers to market the kolsch style on a grand scale in the early 1900s.  The brewery is still a family-owned concern and is now in the fourth generation of Reissdorf brewers.  This heritage does not come without sacrifice: Heinrich Reissdorf's eldest son and heir apparent was killed in a brewery accident in 1936.  Before World War II the brewery produced a full range of ales and lagers, but they now focus on just making an awesome kolsch (plus a non-alcoholic version of the same).

In the interest of full disclosure, I have never been to Cologne and Reissdorf is the only true German kolsch I've ever tried.  So while I couldn't say how it stacks up against other kolsches, I can attest that it is a delicious brew.  Reissdorf is light and well-balanced with a crisp, dry finish.  The unique character of the kolsch yeast is present in the form of a slightly fruity tang.  Look for the bottles with a red-and-white checkered emblem blazoned with the "HR" logo, an homage to both the city flag of Cologne and the monogram of the brewery's founder.  Be warned that Reissdorf Kolsch isn't cheap - at my local store six-packs go for about $15.  But if you like the American kolsch-style beers that are popping up all over the place these days, I would definitely recommend sampling a bottle of Reissdorf and experiencing a 100% certified authentic kolsch.

QUICK EDITORIAL NOTE, IN CASE ANYONE IS INTERESTED:  I know that a lot of the German words I've used in this blog, such as Koln and Kolsch, are supposed to have a trema (i.e. those two little dots) over their vowels to mark the German "umlaut".  I honestly haven't been able to figure out how to add those little suckers in this blog format, but once I do I promise to make the necessary corrections.