Früh

Kölsch is a protected style. Only breweries within Cologne can use the name, and the beer must follow strict traditions: top-fermented like an ale, then cold-conditioned like a lager. The result sits somewhere between the two, pale gold in colour with a crisp, clean character. Früh's version helped define the style.

Their alcohol-free option, Früh Kölsch 0.0, arrived as part of the brewery's reluctant admission that times change. They start with their standard recipe and remove the alcohol after maturation rather than brewing to low strength from the outset. The result keeps the Kölsch character intact: light, bready, with subtle fruit notes and a dry finish. It pours that familiar pale gold with decent head retention.

You'll find Früh most easily in Germany, naturally. The brewery operates its own gastronomy venues in Cologne, including the famous brewhouse near the cathedral where waiters carry circular trays of small glasses in the traditional manner. Outside Germany, specialist beer importers stock it. In the UK, look to online retailers and better-stocked bottle shops.

Früh represents something specific: a historic brewery adapting to modern drinking habits without abandoning what made them worth drinking in the first place. The AF Kölsch is a credible version of a style that genuinely rewards attention. The style itself is worth understanding, and Früh is as good a guide as any.