Kölsch (beer)

The one to try if lager is the only beer you have ever drunk. Kölsch looks almost identical, brilliantly clear and pale, but it is fermented as an ale, which adds a faint fruitiness and a delicate balance where no single flavor shouts. The bitterness is moderate rather than low, so this is a polished version of something familiar, not a radical change. The name is protected for breweries in and around Cologne, where it arrives in a tall, narrow 20cl glass called a Stange. The small pour keeps it cold and lively to the last sip. Reissdorf, Früh and Gaffel are the names to look for.