The Underrated Beer To Try If You Like Light Lagers

When you sit down on a patio on a warm, sunny day, there isn't much that hits the spot quite like a light lager. Crisp, easy to drink, and low in alcohol, it is a great style not only for quenching your thirst, but also for session drinking, when you might have a few of them. There is a reason that light beer is so popular, after all. The trouble with light lagers, of course, is that there isn't a whole lot of variety to them. It can get a bit dull drinking beers that all taste pretty similar to one another. To solve this dilemma, we reached out to Lindsay Jo, certified Cicerone beer expert and assistant director of culinary operations at Newfields in Indianapolis. She had just the answer for us: a trip to Germany.

"As a huge fan of light lagers," Jo says, "when I am wanting something a touch 'more' without the guilt of the high alcohol content, I go for a true Kölsch from Cologne, Germany." Similar to a light lager, Kölsch is refreshing, pale in color, light-bodied, and low in alcohol — typically under 5% ABV. But what makes Kölsch unique is that it is a hybrid beer, incorporating aspects of both ale and lager into a single glass. Specifically, as Jo explains, Kölsch is "lagered but with an ale yeast, so it is light in body while offering a little more flavor than an American light lager." That means that the yeast is typical of an ale, but this beer is fermented in the colder conditions typical of lager production, giving it fruity ale-like qualities with that same lager crispness.

Just like light lagers in the U.S., it is not necessarily typical to have just one Kölsch. "In Cologne," Jo says, "this beer is served in a petite skinny glass called a 'stange,' that holds a little less than 7 oz a pour, so that you can drink a few (or many!)." The small serving size creates a high rate of turnover, ensuring that your beer never sits long enough to get warm, and every sip is cool, crisp, and delicious.

As for where to get your hands on a Kölsch, Jo mentions that there are a few widely available brands in the U.S. that produce this German beer style, but she prefers the real thing. "A lot of craft breweries make an American version of this beer, which is fun," she says, "but I do think it overcrowds the category a little and causes the real deal to get forgotten or overlooked."

Technically, this is not just a style of beer, but also a protected geographical indication, meaning that true Kölsch can only come from Cologne. If you want the real experience, you'll have to shop for it in the imports section of the liquor store. Either that or book yourself a plane ticket to Germany in order to experience this beer in its birthplace, skinny glasses and all.