With Kolsch Service, Taprooms Offer the VIP Treatment

"Kölsch service-and kölsch itself-originated in Cologne, or Köln. Patrons hunker down at communal tables with narrow glasses, called stanges, of the beer, each with a deckel, which is the coaster used for tallying your order. Servers known as köbes circle with kranzes, which are basket-like trays of fresh, kölsch-filled stanges; when they see an empty one, they swap it out and notch that guest's deckel. You pay for your tallied total when you leave."

"The first of those is scaling back on booze. Kölsch is an ale that drinks like a lager, an easy sell for those seeking lighter options that still boast some flavor. The beer, which balances subtle sweet grain, floral hops and a dry finish, hovers around just 4.4 to 5.2 percent ABV, and stanges hold just about six ounces, or around one-fifth of a liter. The service offers an easy way to drink multiple rounds sans hangover concerns."

"For Nicholas Meyer, owner of Eckhart Beer Co . in Brooklyn, the appeal is both in kölsch's easy-drinking profile and in the service: Once you're done drinking one stange, the next is there fairly quickly. "And you're like, 'Why not?,' because they're pretty modest in alcohol." Eckhart Beer opened in September 2025 with a focus on traditional German- and Czech-style lagers. Programs like this one succeed today thanks to a pendulum swing back from big hop bombs to lighter beers."

Kölsch service originated in Cologne and uses narrow six-ounce stanges, deckels for tallying, kranzes carried by servers known as köbes who replace empties and notch deckels, with payment due on exit. Kölsch beer is an ale that drinks like a lager, balancing subtle sweet grain, floral hops and a dry finish at about 4.4–5.2% ABV, suited to multiple modest rounds without heavy intoxication. Communal tables and roaming service emphasize social drinking. The style and service are gaining traction in U.S. taprooms as drinkers seek lower-ABV, easy-drinking alternatives amid a shift away from big, hop-forward beers.

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