Kölsch vs. Altbier | A Tradition of Competition

It’s no secret that Germans are proud of their beer traditions, with residents of each region proclaiming that their brew is the best. This competitiveness is most clearly embodied in the industrial cities of Cologne (Köln) and Düsseldorf. Kölners proudly promote their Kölsch while Düsseldorfers claim that Altbier is the way to go. Read More

Westbound & Down | Chicago Peaks Kolsch

As the weather has transitioned to long, warm, pleasant days, one’s choice in beer necessarily becomes something that can be drunk for longer periods of time. No longer just getting it in while you can, this is the season for drinking sessions that extend for the duration of several beers, necessitating a beverage that is both refreshing and of moderate ABV so as to leave you in decent shape. This is the season for a beer like Westbound & Down Chicago Peaks Kolsch. Light and drinkable yet still packing serious flavor, this beer was made for warm weather get-togethers.

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Ultimate 6er | The Abandoned German Beers of a Colorado Fall

There’s a lot to love about the changing of the seasons. But then again, is there? Oh you love fall colors? Come over and clean up my leaves in November. You love the little nip in the air, do ya? Well get ready for flu season. You just LOVE you some pumpkin spice? Tell that to the child laborers who sweat away in the pumpkin spice mines for pennies on the dollar.

Fall does bring about some tasty beers — or at least we associate certain tasty beers with fall. Wet Hop beers, Pumpkin (not that there’s anything wrong with that) beers and certain Stouts are only released in fall, so that makes sense.

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Carolina Brewery | Sky Blue Kölsch

Sky Blue Kölsch is a crisp, clean traditional German Kölsch from Carolina Brewery in North Carolina. Their new slogan, “Who’s In?” is the perfect enticement to crack open a cold one.

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Metropolitan Brewing | Krankshaft German-Style Kölsch

In 2008, long before breweries populated every Chicago neighborhood and suburban town, Metropolitan Brewing opened its doors. Today’s Chicago beer market now supports several Lager-focused breweries, but Metro served as the city’s trailblazer. There’s nothing pretentious or Bourgeoisie about Metro; it’s a come-as-you-are brewery. (And a Malört-friendly place, too.) And one can revel in the brilliance of its brewing at its gorgeous taproom and patio spot located on the Chicago River, a location they opened in 2017. Among the many beers they produce, there’s one that isn’t technically a lager: Krankshaft German-style Kölsch. Drinking Krankshaft provides insight into why Metro has evolved into one of Chicago’s most respected and recognizable breweries.

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Fusion Brewing | Stange Days Kolsch

“Fusing Fun, Life, Flavor, and Science into Great Craft Beer.”

This is the motto of Lexington, Kentucky’s Fusion Brewing and their Stange Days Czech-style Kolsch is a fine exemplar of this motto. Crisp, clean and light yet rich and malty, this fusion of Czech Pilsner and Czech Ale goes down easy any time of the year.

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Lost Friend Brewing Co. | Turbo Kolsch

In addition to brewing beer, the founders of Lost Friend Brewing Co. have an exceptional ability to help lost dogs. They refer to them as “lost friends” and it became the namesake for Lost Friend Brewing Company. Lost Friend Brewing is so dog-centric that they have placed carabiners on tables for convenient securing of your furry friend. Any given day you can find a cute pup there to brighten your brewery experience. You can even find an archive of furry friends on their Instagram.

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Checklist: Four Chicago Beers For a Perfect July 4th Cooler

Celebrating the July 4th holiday in 2021 takes on added significance due to the arduous year-plus America has been through. Many hope—myself included—to return to normal BBQs, gatherings and outdoor events over the weekend with an added sense of appreciation as to why these small moments in time are so valuable. One timeless tradition of many July 4th celebrations is the packing of a proper beer cooler. While water—both bottled and frozen—are a necessity, along with probably some seltzer, the options for the beer you choose to fill it with are seemingly endless. That’s why I decided to pull together a quick checklist for any Chicago craft beer drinker looking to properly stock their cooler for the July 4th weekend. Read More

Rogue Ales & Spirits | Honey Kolsch

Of all the buzzworthy beer categories today, one earns that buzz(zzzz) more than others. Honey beers are growing in popularity, and they take their distinguishing ingredient from the amazing honey bee. Each honey bee worker flies hundreds of miles in her lifetime, pollinates thousands of flowers and communicates with her hivemates by dancing. One brewery from Oregon is shining a light on bees by using the sweet stuff in a quenching beer redolent of summer wildflowers.

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Black Bottle Brewery | Friar Chuck Kölsch

Black Bottle Brewery has been cranking out a wide variety of beer in Midtown Fort Collins, Colorado since they first opened their doors in 2012. One of those beers — a local favorite and one of their top selling brews — is their year-round Friar Chuck Kölsch. In addition to having their beer on tap, they are also a full service gastropub with a full bar and guest beverages that round out their 40 line tap list. Before we pop the top on Friar Chuck Kölsch, let’s briefly unpack the Kölsch style.
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Falls City Beer | Lou City Kölsch

Louisville City FC was founded in 2015 as Kentucky’s and the city of Louisville’s first professional soccer club. LouCity is part of the United Soccer League (USL) and the team quickly made its mark in the league, winning back-to-back USL Cup Final championships in 2017 and 2018.

LouCity’s success extends beyond the pitch. The Boys in Purple have had major success off the field by creating a large following and support from fans. LouCity fans were seminal supporters for the newly built Lynn Family Stadium, which is now home to LouCity and NWSL’s Racing Louisville FC.

To show support for the hometown team, Falls City Brewing Co. partnered with the two-time USL Cup Final champions to brew Lou City Kölsch Style Ale.

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Seedstock Brewery | Kölsch

Kölsch beer is typically known as a summer beer for its clean, refreshing character and easy drinkability. Seedstock Brewery’s German-style Kölsch hits all of those highlights. making it a great choice for a lazy afternoon sitting on the brewery’s spacious patio watching Denver’s West Colfax Avenue wildlife.

Of course, Kölsch’s true home is Cologne (Köln) Germany, where the brew is typically served in small 200-milliliter glasses — approximately 6 ¾ ounces. Various theories exist regarding the purpose of this. The most common is that as a summer beer, frequent cold fresh pours keep drinkers from consuming warm brew. Seedstock takes a more generous attitude, however, and offers the beer in full pint glasses Read More

Fairhope Brewing Co. | Cheap Sunglasses Golden Ale

In 2021, L.A.’s first craft brewery turns 8, and there’s sure to be a Pelican Party like none other! Oh wait — you thought L.A. was Los Angeles? Try the other L.A., more than 2000 miles away from the City of Angels. This L.A. is Lower Alabama, and Fairhope Brewing Company is proud to call itself the region’s first craft brewery.

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Inbound BrewCo | Laser Loon Kolsch

Summer is lake season in Minnesota. While pursuing one of the state’s 11,842 lakes, one might be lucky enough to catch a view of Minnesota’s state bird — the loon. Inspired by the loon, Laser Loon Kolsch from Minneapolis’ Inbound BrewCo represents an ideal beer to pair with a lakeshore visit, pontoon or any Minnesota summer experience.

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Summer Beer Release Roundup

Summer beer season is finally upon us! We may not be able to enjoy our summertime brews as we normally would, but breweries across the country are continuing to put out new brews.

We’ve rounded up new releases from breweries distributing across the country or large regions of the country so you will have access to most of them! These beers range from light refreshing Ales to heavy Imperial Stouts. Just because it’s warm outside doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the quality of your beer!

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Ultimate 6er | College Collaborations Perfect for March Madness 2020

With Selection Sunday coming up on March 15, March Madness 2020 will soon be in full effect. As more and more colleges are teaming up with local breweries to create school specific brews, this March Madness Ultimate 6er features six beers from universities (and breweries) we’ll likely see playing in the coming weeks. Read More

Sonder Brewing | Kato Coffee Kolsch

Storytelling is nearly as prevalent in craft beer as hops. Ok, that may be a stretch but there’s no denying the importance of storytelling in the beer industry. A brewery’s narrative connects its mission and beer to its customers and community. Sonder Brewing, a young brewery located just north of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, has fully embraced the value of a good story in every aspect of its business.

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Watch the Braves in the Playoffs with Terrapin Brewing CJ10

With the baseball playoffs at-hand, one can now toast both the Atlanta Braves’ division crown and newly inducted Hall of Fame Braves player Chipper Jones with CJ10, a beer conceived by the prolific switch hitter and the folks at Terrapin Beer Company.

CJ10, an easy-drinking Kölsch-style ale, emerged from Terrapin’s unique ATL Brew Lab found at SunTrust Park in Atlanta during the summer. And, what better way to honor a switch hitter than with a beer that’s made with ale yeast, but is fermented like a lager?

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GLBC Releases 73 Kolsch | Brewed with Cleveland Football Hero Joe Thomas

Cleveland’s Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) has an affinity for beers that also tell a story, be it history, weather or paying homage to its local, Cleveland sports scene. For instance, GLBC released its Rally Drum Red Ale brewed in honor of the well-known Cleveland Indian bleacher-seat drummer, John J. Adams. Come September, Cleveland fans can sip on 73 Kolsch, brewed with Cleveland Browns hero Joe Thomas, an offensive linemen who played in an amazing 10,363 consecutive snaps during his 11-year career. Hence, GLBC describes the Kolsch-style beer as “A Brew Fit For An Iron Man.”

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New Belgium’s Most Widely Distributed Beer Ever is Their New Bicycle Kick Kölsch

New Belgium Brewing has had success in a bunch of different beer styles, most notably with their popular Voodoo Ranger IPA line and the fan favorite Fat Tire. But they’ve never distributed either of those beers as widely as their newest offering. Enter Bicycle Kick Kölsch, their new, refreshing brew primed to be the premiere beer of this June’s World Cup. To give it added appeal for “The World’s Game,” New Belgium decided to partner with five breweries on five different continents, creating a truly unique collaborative beer that boasts the finishing touches from five distinct breweries. The kicker, pun intended, is that each brewery that brews Bicycle Kick will also distribute the limited time beer across their distribution footprint. That’s five continents, making it New Belgium’s most widely distributed beer ever. We asked New Belgium spokesperson Jesse Claeys about how the Fort Collins brewery brewed a beer with worldwide appeal.

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