Cologne's Beer-Serving Traditions: A Local's Guide To Drinking

In Cologne, beer is not just a drink – it's an entire culture. The city's famous Kölsch beer is served in small .2L glasses called Stange, and it's customary to clink glasses at the bottom rather than the top. The beer is always served cold and fresh, and the servers – known as Köbes – rush around with their round trays full of Kölsch, replacing empty glasses with full ones without waiting for customers to order another round. So, if you're drinking Kölsch in Cologne, get ready for a unique and lively experience!

Beer glassware

In Cologne, beer is not just a drink, it is an entire culture. The city's famous Kölsch beer is served in a specific type of glassware, which is an integral part of the drinking experience.

Kölsch is traditionally served in a cylindrical glass called a Stange, which holds 0.2 litres of beer. The small size of the glass ensures that the beer remains cold and is consumed quickly. The thin tapered top of the glass also has a functional purpose—due to its shape, it is customary to clink glasses at the bottom rather than the top. The Stange glass is typically made of thin glass and is straight-sided, showcasing the beer's light gold colour and high clarity.

The Stange glass is also designed to be carried and served efficiently by the waiters, known as Köbes, who rush around with their round trays full of Kölsch. The Köbes is an integral part of the Kölsch drinking culture in Cologne, with a distinctive style and manner that is considered part of the unique brewery restaurant experience.

The Köbes will continuously bring refills and replace empty glasses with full ones without waiting for an order. This constant swapping of glasses is facilitated by a specially designed tray called a Kranz, which has slots to hold the Stange glasses securely and prevent them from tipping over.

The Stange glass, along with the Köbes and the unique serving style, contributes to the convivial atmosphere of the Cologne brewery restaurants, where conversation flows easily and differences disappear as people come together to enjoy the local beer.

The history of Kölsch

The Kölsch style, however, is a more recent development. The name was first used by the Sünner Brewery, one of over forty breweries in Cologne before World War II. In 1946, twenty-four breweries in the city formed the Kölsch Konvention, an association that ensured Kölsch could only be called Kölsch if it was brewed in Cologne. Other standards agreed upon by the association included that Kölsch would always be pale, filtered, top-fermented, brewed between 11 and 14 degrees Plato, hop-accentuated, and served in a Stange glass.

Kölsch is a unique style of beer, a hybrid of lager and ale brewing techniques. It is fermented with ale yeast and then finished at cold temperatures like a lager. This gives it a light, drinkable character with a subtle fruitiness and spice, but a crisp, clean finish.

Kölsch is served in small 0.2L glasses, which are constantly refilled by waiters until the drinker indicates they don't want any more by placing their coaster on top of their empty glass. This is a unique drinking culture, with its own traditions and rituals, and the people of Cologne are proud of their local beer.

Where to drink Kölsch in Cologne

Kölsch is the local beer of Cologne, and the city's residents are proud of it. Walk into any bar or brauhaus in the city and you'll be served a Kölsch. If you're visiting Cologne, trying some Kölsch is a must. Here are some of the best places to try it:

Früh

One of the most popular breweries in Cologne, Früh is a great well-rounded option for your first Kölsch. The beer here is slightly more malty and has a little more hop flavour than other varieties, which makes it very easy to drink. The main Früh brauhaus is a classic, sprawling across different buildings and floors with winding hallways and mismatched rooms. Früh is almost always filled with Kölsch drinkers, both tourists and locals. The food is also pretty good, serving up iconic German and Cologne cuisine.

Reissdorf am Hahnentor

Reissdorf is another Kölsch brewery that is probably the most well-known outside of Cologne. The Kölsch here has a slightly maltier and heavier taste with a great hoppy finish. The malts have a little more toasted flavour, lending a bit more body and a broader malt flavour. Reissdorf can be easily found throughout the town, both in bars and stores. Unlike Gaffel and Früh, Reissdorf does not have a dedicated brauhaus in the Cologne’s Old Town, so you’ll need to pop into a bar to sample it.

Gaffel

Gaffel Kölsch is a very clean and crisp beer, more lager-like than other breweries. The beer drinks lightly due to its nice hoppiness, along with a slightly musty yeast note on the finish. The brauhaus is located right by the main Cologne train station and is definitely worth checking out. Unlike Früh, Gaffel’s brauhaus is one main (and huge) open room with a more modern feel to it. The food at Gaffel’s brauhaus is the best of all the Kölsch bars on this list, so it is a perfect place to go before catching a train at the main train station.

Brauerei Pfaffen

Located on the northeast corner of Heumarkt, Brauerei Pfaffen’s bright orange exterior is unmissable. This family-owned brewery has been around since the 1970s, serving up countless stanges of crisp, clean Kölsch. The service at Pfaffen is friendly, especially compared to the larger Kölsch breweries. There is a patio in the front facing the Heumarkt square, but there is also a more secluded patio in the back which overlooks the small but cute Ostermannplatz.

Peter’s Brauhaus

Peter’s Brauhaus is a great little brewery right in the Old Town. This is a quintessential German place frequented by locals and tourists alike. The Kölsch is smooth and crisp and always fresh from the tap. It is more challenging to find Peter’s in a store or outside the brauhaus, so this is a great place to bring people visiting from out of town because it is quite unique to Cologne’s old town area.

The culture of drinking Kölsch

Kölsch is not just a beer in Cologne; it is an integral part of the city's culture and history. With a unique brewing technique that combines the best elements of lager and ale, Kölsch has become a symbol of Cologne's brewing heritage and a source of pride for its locals.

The origins of Kölsch can be traced back to the city's long and rich brewing history, which stretches back at least a thousand years. In the 17th century, Cologne chose to preserve the traditional method of top fermentation associated with ales, while the rest of the country embraced lager brewing. This decision helped maintain the distinct character of German ales, including the future Kölsch.

Kölsch, as we know it today, is a relatively new style that emerged after World War II. The name was first used by the Sünner Brewery, one of over forty breweries in Cologne before the war. In 1946, the brewery resumed production and, by the late 1940s, other breweries followed suit, rebuilding and restoring Cologne's brewing industry.

In 1986, twenty-four Cologne breweries united to form the Kölsch Konvention, an association dedicated to preserving the integrity of Kölsch as a beer unique to Cologne. According to German regulations, only breweries within 30 miles of the city can brew authentic Kölsch, and it must be crafted according to specific standards. These standards include its pale colour, filtration, top fermentation, specific gravity, hop accentuation, and service in a Stange glass.

The experience of drinking Kölsch in Cologne is just as important as the beer itself. It is customary to drink Kölsch in traditional brauhauses, where the atmosphere is lively, cheerful, and rustic. The service, provided by waiters known as Köbes, is notoriously gruff and efficient. The Köbes embodies the traditional brewery worker's outfit, including a blue knitted jacket with a high collar and a blue apron. They move swiftly through the brauhaus, replacing empty glasses with full ones and marking tallies on coasters to keep track of consumption.

The Stange glass, a 0.2-litre cylindrical vessel, is specifically designed for serving Kölsch. Its small size ensures the beer stays cold and encourages social interaction as the Köbes frequently refills glasses. The thin tapered top of the glass also dictates a unique toasting custom: clinking glasses from the bottom instead of the top.

Kölsch is more than just a beverage in Cologne; it represents camaraderie, tradition, and a shared cultural identity. The local saying, "Kölsch is the only culture that you can drink," captures the essence of this unique drinking culture. Whether enjoyed in a brauhaus or one of the many brewery restaurants, drinking Kölsch is an essential part of the Cologne experience.

How to indicate you don't want another beer

In Cologne, Germany, the local beer is called Kölsch, and it is served in small .2L glasses called a Stange. The small serving size ensures that the beer remains cold by the time you’re ready for the next one. In a traditional Cologne bar or brauhaus, the servers are called Köbes and they take their job very seriously. They are known for being standoffish and even rude by American standards, but this is normal in Germany and is part of the experience. They are in charge of many tables and will rush around with their round trays of Kölsch, setting them down on customers' tables and replacing empty glasses with full ones without waiting for an order. To keep track of how many beers each customer has consumed, the Köbes will make a small tick or tally mark on a coaster. When you've had enough, you can indicate that you don't want any more beer by placing the coaster on top of your empty glass. This is the universal sign in Cologne to show the Köbes that you are done drinking.

Frequently asked questions