‘The champagne of pale ales’: my search for the perfect kölsch beer in Cologne

By Scott Antcliffe

‘Kölsch is not a drink, it is a religion’ in Cologne, and it’s only brewed in and around the German city. But which of the many beautiful, storied beer halls serves up the best? T here’s a saying in Cologne, repeated with the mild smugness of people who know they’re right: kölsch is the only culture you can drink.