Liquid Assets: Kölsch from White Street Brewing

Kölsch from White Street Brewing Company

WITH SUMMER IN FULL SWING, what better time to enjoy a nice cold, refreshing beer? In this episode of Liquid Assets, we head over to Wake Forest for an award-winning Kölsch from White Street Brewing Company.

Although the Kölsch wasn’t the brewery’s first beer brewed — it was actually the Scottish — the Kölsch quickly became one of the brewery’s best sellers.

Brewed with Pilsner malts imported from Germany, this refreshing beer gets its dry and fruity finish from characteristics found in a specific yeast strain that originated in Köln, Germany, the birthplace of Kölsch.

White Street’s Kölsch has a subtle cracker malt flavor and slight hints of apple on the nose. In 2014, the Kölsch won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup, and the rest is history for the brewery. Today, this perfect beer that pays tribute to Köln Biergarten traditions can be found at your local bottle shops and grocery stores.

In Germany, brewers and drinkers alike often add fruit juices or lemonade to their Kölsch, depending on the season. White Street Brewing Company is building on those traditions by infusing their Kölsch with fruit flavors in their Fruitfinity series. Last winter, the brewery started with a blend of pomegranate and cranberry, which added a nice tartness to the beer.

And now, with the warmer weather, the brewery's latest version of Fruitfinity is its Tangerine Kölsch. This beer is a blend of tangerine and pineapple, bringing a very tropical and citrusy wave of bliss.

According to White Street Key Accounts Manager Will Haddock, the beer tastes like a mimosa in a can. And that’s not all. This summer, also look for their Key Lime Kölsch, which Haddock says “is super crisp, tangy, and refreshing. It's a great beer to battle those hot, heavy days.”

Dathan Kazsuk is co-owner of the beer, wine, and travel website Triangle Around Town, trianglearoundtown.com. The website and its digital publications help promote the craft beer and wine industries within the state.