The Spirit of Cologne comes to Manchester

As the sun sets down behind The River Rhine, the dark silhouette of the twin-spired cathedral dominates the skyline as the city of Cologne in Germany comes to life. Thirsty workers leave their daily grind and go into the bars across the city to meet and share stories.

“Kölsch” is the local delicacy that’s enjoyed so much by the locals and highly rated among tourists and especially beer connoisseurs. This lager that’s light in colour is nowhere near light in taste; it’s hoppy and packed full of flavour whilst being able to maintain a crispiness that’s stimulating to the palate.

Traditionally, Kölsch was only allowed to be brewed within the city limits of Cologne. The rule was that if you could see the stunning cathedral from your brewery then you were allowed to brew Kölsch. Then in 1986, the breweries of the city met for the Kölsch Konvention where they agreed to restrict the brewing of Kölsch to within 50km (30mil) of the city centre.

This drink is part of the identity of Cologne, along with its beloved football team and their pride in being a north-western hub for tourism and culture… sounds familiar.

We can identify with the passion that the people of Cologne have for their city and their beer. Kölsch is a treasured institution just like our Bitter or Harvest Ale. JW Lees have always had close friends and connections across the world of beer so we reached out to see if we could do something with their Kölsch yeast and create something uniquely ours. As a result, “Manchester Kölsch” has been released from our Boilerhouse and we’re ready to share it with you.

A one of kind, German style, made in Manchester beer. We’re excited too.