An old and original style, that in our opinion has inspired many American breweries, is the German-Style Kölsch Ale from the city of Köln, Germany.
To give you some depth, without getting carried away in beer history, the first recorded document of this style of beer dates back to 873 AD! Though the style is indigenous to the Köln area, many US breweries have more than embraced the style. They might not call it a Kölsch, but breweries are producing the style, or rather using it as a guide and adding their own twist.
Now in our experience, the biggest difference between the Kölsch and American Golden and Blonde Ales is the Kölsch’s use of German ingredients, primarily where the hops are concerned. In a Kölsch the hop bitterness will not have any kind of citric flavor but rather more of a spicy bite. And sometimes a lager yeast strain is used in the bottle or in the final cold conditioning process.
