Now Where's My Kranz?: Kölsch-Style Ale by Dovetail Brewery

When it's a nice day and it's spring and there's Kölsch to be drunk and your passport hasn't been used yet, it gets frustrating when you realize that you're not in Köln. There is no surly Köbes keeping that Stange in front of you filled with the city's famous brew as you chow down on some Kölsche Kaviar and admire the old-looking buildings of Gereon Rath's hometown that were, in fact, built only sometime after World War II. Frustration becomes resignation eventually.

Having had a smattering of blonde ales lately, moving onto a Kölsch seems like a natural progression. These styles look the same and it's not uncommon to find a blonde ale labeled "Kölsch" – so what's the difference? The way I rate it, a genuine Kölsch from Köln will be lagered so sweetness and fruity flavors will be present but deemphasized. Plus the hops should be more grass/straw-like.

While there isn't a gothic cathedral or Köbes in sight, we do have good Kölsch-style beers here. In fact, one of the best, New Glarus' Kid Kölsch, returns this summer, if it's not already on store shelves. Sadly, some of the best domestic Kölsches I've ever had are either no longer brewed (Sierra Nevada, Big Bay) or not available here in Madison (Schlafly). Now we have a new Kölsch-style ale available here from Chicago's Dovetail Brewery.

I tend to rate Kölsches against the Platonic ideal of the style, Reissdorf. I have friends who prefer Gaffel und Früh and, while I certainly don't dislike them, they just don't reach Reissdorfian heights. Mainly I think this is because they don't get that nice, crisp cracker flavor. When I've had them, I taste something that's more doughy, almost mushy/paste-like. On the one hand, I am willing to give a lot of slack to imported beers because who knows when that stuff was brewed and what the conditions on the trek across the ocean were like. But Reissdorf makes that trip too.

Reissdorf not only has a wonderful grain taste in absolute terms, but also in relative terms. It comes in just the right amount to allow the fruitiness a little room and the hops too. Everything in its place. I've read that around 100 years ago the Kölsch was quite a bit hoppier than it is today. While I am happy to try a retro Kölsch, I will continue to adore the more modern iteration of the beer which, I suspect, dates back to the time when those old-looking buildings in Köln were being built.

My pour of the Dovetail left my Stange with a big head of stiff, white foam. It sat atop the straw colored beer, which was a tad hazy, and looked wonderful. In the sun, it looked like the perfect vernal glass of suds. And it smelled wonderful too – very Reissdorfian. There was a strong smell of cracker along with grass and bit of berry-like fruitiness.

Unlike most of the beers I've tasted lately, it wasn't the fizz that I judged first. Instead, it was the tasty crackery grain flavor followed by some low-level sweetness that was honeyed on one sip and then more like berry on the next. It was all kept in check by a medium fizziness. On the swallow, I thought I tasted wheat as a mild, peppery bitterness kicked in which conspired with the fizz for a fairly dry finish.

Dovetail has concocted a Kölsch-style brew that is very similar to Reissdorf but with a slightly heavier malt taste and more fruitiness. It's like it took the Reissdorf template and embiggened the bier just a tad. I admit that there's a part of me saying that it just doesn't match up with my beloved Kölsch from Cologne but, really, this is a wonderful take on the style. It has got very tasty grain and fruity flavors doing that Kölsch-y pas de deux on my tongue, plus it's light, crisp and the brisk, dry finish was perfect. A most worthy addition to my Kölsch arsenal.

Junk food pairing: I like to pair my Kölsch with cheese so, after you pour yourself a Dovetail, bust open a bag of Cheetos Puffs. The lighter Puffs with their delicate crispness goes perfectly with the more restrained flavors of the Kölsch.