Tasting Kölsch Beer -- Notes and Observations
by RhineRoll
Kölsch is both the name for the local dialect and beer, and indeed both have in common that they are rather smooth and soft in their outcome.
Whereas Kölsch looks like a lager type beer, its production with top-fermenting yeast actually makes it a cousin of the darker Altbier from the Düsseldorf area and the English ale style beers. Drinking a Kölsch on a warm summer's evening can be a pleasant experience throughout because it combines the hopsyness of a lager with the smoothness of a lager type beer. However, in order to avoid that smoothness from turning into sheer sluggishness, both storing and serving need to ensure that the beer comes to the discerning customer in top freshness. This is also one reason why Kölsch traditionally is served in small narrow 0,2 litre glasses -- this shape ensures best that the beer stays fresh and that the head doesn't collapse.
The small serving size is not very popular with many of the bigger and more tourist-oriented beer gardens on Cologne's Rhine promenade and Old Town because it means more work for the Köbesse (waiters) and ultimately higher labour costs. They have started to introduce larger glasses, measuring 0,3 and even 0,5 litres. Some brewery houses offer groups the choice of putting a "Pittermännchen" on their table -- a small keg -- so that everybody can draft their own beer straight from the keg.
Due to the above difficulties, getting a really great Kölsch is not as easy as it would seem to be. Some Kölsch beers that are already smoother in their character can turn into disastrous drinks when served in the wrong place at the wrong time. Should you get such a "Plörre" (German slang term for sluggish beer), it's best to leave straight and go to another place.
Like all beers, Kölsch is best from the tap, only those Kölsch that are styled more towards the herb side rather than the smooth one are acceptable out of the bottle.
Here are a few local brands and my comments on them:
Fresh-Herb variants
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Gaffel Kölsch -- probably the one with the most intensive taste. Good from the bottle. Greatest chance for a good one from the draft IMO
Früh Kölsch -- rather clear taste, not as hopsy as Gaffel, a bit steely. Good all-round Kölsch. The safest bet to choose if you aren't sure what to take
Sünner Kölsch -- a smaller brewery from the East Bank of the Rhine. Very good out of the bottle, sadly not that many places serving it from the draught
Smooth Variants
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Peters Kölsch -- very smooth beer. Very high danger to turn into a horribly sluggish drink. Don't order this one in a crowded place -- utter disaster awaits!!!
Küppers Kölsch -- largely available outside of the Rhineland, not really popular within the Rhineland itself. Probably with good reason.
Kölner Dom - Window of the Nativity
by Diana75
Another favourite window is the Window of the Nativity.
The central picture shows the Christ Child between Mary and Joseph.
In the left panel Moses stands before the burning bush.
All of the saints in the lower half of the window have a relationship to Cologne: Agrippa is the founder of the city and Marsilius is the legendary hero of ancient Cologne.
The larger figures above are the city patrons of Cologne: Saints George, Maurice, Gereon and Albinus.
The window was donated by the City Council in 1507.
Cologne Hauptbahnhof
by BillNJ
Located next to the Cathedral, the Cologne Hauptbahnhof (central train station) is an important local, national and international transportation hub. The Hauptbahnhof is an extremely busy place with trains and trams arriving and departing on many different platforms. The station's building also hosts a large shopping mall, the Colonaden.
The station broadcasts instructions and information in both German and English. Also, the personnel at the information desk in the station are fluent English speakers.
Good Pasta
by LizD about Ramazzotti
Had a nice meal at this restaurant and the service was good and quick.
Had two pasta main dishes and two Kolsch for E22
Food was freshly prepared and tasted good. Rigatoni Pasticiata and Tortellini Panna Salido
Cologne Zoo
by Philpinnage
Just fantastic. really felt that the animals were looked after all seemed interested in their environment not stressed / bored. Amazing collection of big animals.
They had a number of differnt types of bear and most big cats.
The monkey house is a real treat. As mentioned in a previous tip the separate enclosures have been joined together by a series of mesh tubes that the monkeys can run up and down turning all the individual enclosures into one large one.
The elephant enclosure is huge and when we went inside we saw some elephants getting a bath, one of the Indian elephants that looked very old was holding the hosepipe themselves and washing with it, we were really close and using the hosepipe that way peering into the deep brown eyes you could see the intelligence of these creatures.
One of our favourites were the meerkats. These are african mongoose like creatures that live in groups and are always standing up on two legs looking around. Because we went in distinctly non savannah style weather they had heat lamps set up, they were all huddled under these lamps to keep warm. Food was put into the enclosure but not near the heat lamps, that caused much indecision on the part of these cute creatures as they weighed up the food verses the heat. One of the smaller ones that wasn't getting much heat standing on the edge of the group went for the food, the sight of this one eating everything was too much for all the others that then made a mad dash en masse for the food!
Opposite the zoo is the aquarium. The ticket to the zoo will get you into the aquarium too I think. This is also very impressive with some pretty nasty looking spiders also lurking around!
Really recomend it. We went in Early December and saw all the animals - so it really is good at that time of year, less people in the way too.
Bottom End - Busy
Just descended from the spire
and son it was time to see us off...
Ah....coffee!
