There is beer and there is beer. In Cologne the local specialty beer is called Kölsch. It comes in small glasses of 0.2 litre, called Stangen and the idea is that this way the beer stays cool when you drink it. But beware, as soon as you’ve finished your glass, the waiter will immediately bring you a new one. This way it will be very easy to get drunk, but the way to stop it is to put the coaster on top of your glass. This will probably invite the waiter to make enquiries about your health, because you are supposed to keep on drinking. It is easy to keep track of how many glasses of Kölsch you have drunk – the waiter will pencil a line on your coaster each time he brings you a new one.
In the Old Town (Altstadt) there are lots of places where you can have your Kölsch. To name but a few: Früh am Dom (Am Hof 12-14); Brauhaus Sion (Unter Taschenmacher 5) and Bräuhaus Gaffel (Alter Markt 20-22). Of course, these are all very touristy places. You might also want to try Brauerei Päffgen (Friesenstraße 64-66), which is on a street with just bars… On Heumerkat there is Brauerei Malzmühle, which became famous after Bill Clinton visited the place. The nearest place near the Messe where you can drink Kölsch is Lommerzheim in the Siegesstrasse 18 (in Köln-Deutz).
Although Cologne isn’t Bavaria, you should also visit one of the “Biergarten”, where you can enjoy your beer in the open air. Actually, there is a trendy one between the ANGA hall and the river Rhine, the Beach Club KM 689, also known as Ibiza-am-Rhein. Open from twelve noon till 1am, there are 800 couches and lounge chairs to welcome you with 1,100 tonnes of sand on an area of 3,500 qm, beach loungers. The Spanish designer furniture and hammocks well get you into the holiday mood. Kölsch is rather pricey at €3.50, but comes in a slightly larger volume then elsewhere in the city (0.33 liter rather than 0.2) and they even have a non-alcoholic version available. Soft drinks and wines start at €4.00. There is a minimum charge of €4.00 per person, but you can’t beat location, views and atmosphere.
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