![](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgq-hvVEbdx-sO0VYmzYoQJaXAc2T9hUcpQM17a8K873BaZcNIY3cypC4XV4wzZrUihWigEr8E4F_vg7iCNLY07OGlBuV8H7hogZ4KXoxn14KMhsN9s4Oq_t8TPzlpyvpwy6QoprtXHjrjK5WoxAl6vlaRJaRobulNbLTQTDKMgONvuM1l1snGyYGqblP0\/s4043\/Cologne%20pub.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nA couple of posts ago I mentioned my plan to reflect on some K\u00f6lsch<\/span><\/b> is a The end result is a clear beer with a bright, straw-yellow hue, K\u00f6lsch <\/span><\/b>has to be It is pale in colour <\/span><\/p>\n K\u00f6lsch<\/span><\/b> is usually K\u00f6lsch<\/span><\/b> waiters, Since the formation of the <\/span>\u201cK\u00f6lsch Convention\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/span>,<\/span> there has been the inevitable mergers So, what about the pubs and bars? Personally, I prefer some One of the most famous K\u04e7lsch<\/span><\/b> houses in Cologne, \u00a0<\/b>I have made Gaffel am Probably my favourite beer house in the city centre is Peter\u2019s Bierhaus As the German speaker<\/b> of the group, I The K\u00f6lsch, <\/b>which was dispensed straight P\u00e4ffgen <\/b>K\u04e7lsch<\/span><\/b><\/u><\/a> <\/u><\/a>is worthy of an article of its <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A couple of posts ago I mentioned my plan to reflect on some of the more notable establishments in Cologne where one can enjoy quality food, free-flowing beer, engaging conversation and a relaxing atmosphere. That was the plan, but the more I\u2019ve looked into it, the more taxing the task has become. Over the course […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":157053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[137],"tags":[289,64763,14721],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-157052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beer","tag-cologne","tag-fondness","tag-reflections"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nof the more notable establishments in Cologne<\/b> where one can enjoy quality food,
\nfree-flowing beer, engaging conversation and a relaxing atmosphere. That was
\nthe plan, but the more I\u2019ve looked into it, the more taxing the task has
\nbecome. Over the course of eight separate visits to Cologne, <\/b>I’ve got to know
\nmany of the city\u2019s best drinking houses. I did a count up and can list 12
\nclassic beer houses <\/b>selling K\u00f6lsch <\/b>in the city, plus a number of \u201calso runs\u201d,<\/i><\/b> and
\nthat\u2019s without really trying. It’s a start though, especially as I\u2019ve had
\npersonal experience of all these establishments, but before describing some of
\nthem it\u2019s worth reminding ourselves of what Cologne\u2019s<\/b> unique beer style is all
\nabout. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nsurvivor from the pre-lager brewing tradition of Northern Germany,<\/b> but over the years <\/span><\/span>has undergone
\na good deal of change. The most notable of these is the lightening of its
\ncolour to pale yellow, giving it the appearance of a Pilsner<\/span><\/b>. It is perhaps not surprising then to
\nlearn that it is brewed mainly from Pilsner malt.<\/span><\/b><\/span> <\/span><\/b>K\u00f6lsch <\/span><\/b>is top
\nfermented at a temperature of between 13 to 21\u00b0C, <\/span><\/b>which is
\nmore typical of ale brewing, but after the initial fermentation, it undergoes a
\nperiod of conditioning, where it is lagered at a much colder temperature.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nbut considering its background, there is little ale character to be found,
\napart from a little fruitiness. K\u00f6lsch<\/span><\/b> tends to have a
\nsoft, and well-rounded character and can sometimes be on the sweet side.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nbrewed in the <\/span>Cologne<\/span><\/b> area before
\nit can call itself such, and this qualification is stipulated by the <\/span>\u201cK\u00f6lsch Convention\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/b>, which dates back to the <\/span>1980\u2019s.<\/span><\/b> The convention was drawn up <\/span>24 breweries<\/span><\/b>, some of which are no longer brewing,
\nin order to protect the style from outside imitations. Additionally, a beer may
\nonly be called a <\/span>K\u00f6lsch<\/span><\/b> if it meets
\nthe following criteria:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nIt is brewed in the Cologne metropolitan area:<\/p>\n
It is top-fermented
It is hop-accented
It is filtered
It is a \u2018Vollbier\u2019<\/p>\n
\nserved in small, plain cylindrical glasses known as Stangen<\/span><\/b>, which typically hold just 20 cl<\/span><\/b> of beer, although some outlets will use 25 cl<\/span><\/b> versions. The reason for the small glasses
\nis K\u00f6lsch<\/span><\/b> is a beer designed to
\nbe drunk fresh. Leaving a newly poured glass standing for any length of time
\nallows the beer\u2019s condition to dissipate and is not conducive to enjoying it at
\nits best. This ensures that customers have a fresh glass of beer for as long as
\nthey wish to continue drinking,<\/span><\/p>\n
\nwho appear to always be male, carry round a circular tray known as a Kranz<\/span><\/b>. This has inserts designed to accommodate up
\nto a dozen glasses, and they will automatically offer customers a fresh glass
\nof K\u00f6lsch<\/span><\/b>, making a pencil mark
\non a beer mat, for each glass taken. The waiters are known as \u201cK\u00f6bes\u201d<\/span><\/b><\/i> (a word derived from \u201cJakobus\u201d<\/span><\/b><\/i>) and wear distinctive blue aprons.<\/span><\/b> They have a reputation for being a
\nbit gruff, but this might be unfounded, as most of the ones I have come across
\nhave been helpful and often friendly as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nand closures, so typical of the brewing industry the world over. This has led
\nto many <\/span><\/span>K\u00f6lsch <\/b>\u201cbrands\u201d<\/b><\/i><\/span> <\/span>now being brewed at one large brewery, known
\nas the <\/span>K\u00f6lner Verbund Brauereien GmbH & Co. <\/span><\/b><\/span>This is
\nhoused in what was formerly the <\/span>K\u00fcppers Brewery.<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nof the less well-known establishments away from the well-worn tourist trail. But
\nif you\u2019re a stranger to the city, it\u2019s probably advisable to start with some of
\nthe more popular establishments and tourist spots, as they offer a good
\nintroduction to drinking in Cologne. <\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n<\/b>as well as one of the largest, is Fr<\/b>\u00fc<\/span>h am Dom<\/b>. “Dom” <\/b>is the German <\/b>word for cathedral, and Fr<\/a><\/b>\u00fc<\/span>h<\/b> <\/span>is very close to the
\nmagnificent gothic cathedral that dominates the centre of Cologne.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/b><\/div>\n
\nseveral visits to Fr<\/b>\u00fc<\/span>h
\nam Dom, <\/b><\/a><\/u>and on each occasion this Cologne<\/b> institution, with its maze of
\ninter-connected rooms, spread out across several different levels, seems to have
\ngrown in size. On my last visit to IDS,<\/b> our group called in at Fr<\/b>\u00fc<\/span>h <\/b>and found the <\/b>place
\nabsolutely heaving. Fortunately, one of the waiters managed to squeeze us in,
\nand looked after our table of six, along with several others. He kept us
\nsupplied with numerous glasses of K<\/b><\/a>\u00f6<\/span>lsch<\/b><\/span>
\n<\/b>that evening and took care of our food orders as well.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
\nDom<\/span><\/b>,<\/span><\/b> is another large, and <\/span>cavernous
\nestablishment which is on the other side of the cathedral, and
\njust around the corner from the <\/span>main station (<\/b><\/span>Hauptbahnhof).<\/b> \u00a0<\/span>It is a beer-hall I know well from numerous visits
\ntrips to Cologne,<\/b> and the Gaffel K\u00f6lsch <\/b>sold is a soft, hoppy, and easy-drinking
\nbeer which slips down rather easily. It is also one of the most widely
\navailable brands of <\/b><\/span>K\u00f6lsch<\/b>, in Cologne.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nBrauhaus<\/b><\/a><\/u>, and another establishment that I\u2019ve visited several times. One of
\nthe most memorable of these occasions was in 2017,<\/b> when we called in on what
\nwas our second night in the city. Peter\u2019s<\/b> is a very traditional looking
\nestablishment, and the Peters K\u04e7lsch<\/b> we enjoyed there was amongst the
\nbest we came across during our stay. Even better it was served direct from small
\nmetal casks, perched up on a stand behind the bar. Being dispensed by gravity,
\nwithout the use of extraneous CO2,<\/b> the beer was smooth tasty and far
\nless gassy compared to what is often the case in Cologne.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nen d’r Salzgass<\/b><\/a>, is another classic o<\/span>ld town pub, sited on a narrow cobbled street which leads
\nfrom <\/span>Heumarkt<\/a> <\/span><\/b>to <\/span>Buttermarkt<\/a><\/b>, <\/span>in an area teeming with pubs, bars and restaurants. I
\nwas recommended to try this outlet, by Mancheste<\/b>r-based blogger Matt<\/b>
\nwhose informed and well-written site, \u201cWhen My Feet go Through the Door\u201d,<\/a><\/u><\/i><\/b>
\nis well worth clicking onto. Matt<\/b> assured me that, as well as serving P\u00e4ffgen
\nK\u00f6lsch, <\/b>the pub\u2019s menu was also of a high standard. Two years after that
\nvisit to Peter\u2019s, <\/b>we tried our luck with Bierhaus en d’r Salzgass,<\/b> after
\nbeing turned away from a number of other outlets that evening. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nwas left to ask if the pub could accommodate our party of five. The place
\nseemed packed, but the waiter, perhaps warming to being addressed in his native
\ntongue, managed to find us a table squeezed in towards the back of the pub. He
\nalso confirmed that we could also pay by card, provided we paid as a group. It<\/span> was a good
\nmove befriending that particular K\u00f6bes<\/b>, as he looked after us well,
\nensuring we never had an empty glass in front of us, and that our food arrived
\npromptly. I made sure to give him a generous tip when it came to paying the
\nbill.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nfrom the cask was every bit as good as I remembered it, and the food was
\nequally good. Eschewing the rather obvious roast pork knuckle, I opted instead
\nfor an old favourite from visits to Munich<\/b>, in the form of Leberk\u00e4sse
\nmit Spiegelei & Bratkartoffeln. <\/b><\/span>We spent a couple of hours in
\nthis real old-school, traditional pub, soaking up the atmosphere and the beer
\nin equal quantities. I had to accompany the K\u00f6bes<\/b> to the
\nbar, in order to pay, and it was here that I saw the kegs of <\/span>P\u00e4ffgen,
\n<\/b>set out on the counter in a very similar manner to those at Peters
\nBrauhaus. <\/b><\/p>\n
\nown, which I will post another time, but not being able to make that third, and
\nprobably final visit to this legendary brewpub, remains my sole regret of turning
\ndown this year\u2019s visit to IDS.<\/b> Of course, there\u2019s no guarantee that I
\nwould have been able to call in at <\/span>P\u00e4ffgen, <\/b>having been thwarted by
\ncircumstances during the last three trips to Cologne, <\/b>but I regard it as a \u201cspecial
\nplace\u201d<\/i><\/b> and somewhere I\u2019d like to experience one last time. We shall
\nsee!<\/p>\n