🍺 Raising the Bar #4 — Cologne: The Kölsch Crawl 🇩🇪

#### Cologne (Köln) · Saturday 5 September 2026 · from 11:30

A whole city built around one beer — served in skinny little glasses, poured by waiters who never let you finish. Welcome to Cologne, and the most characterful edition of Raising the Bar yet. 🍻

For this chapter we leave the Netherlands behind and head to Cologne, the spiritual home of Kölsch — a beer so local it's protected by law, brewed only here, and served the same ceremonial way for generations: in slender 0.2L glasses (Stangen), carried on round trays by the blue-aproned Köbes, who keep swapping your empty for a full one until you lay your beermat on top to say "enough." It's less a drink than a ritual — and there's no better place on earth to dive into it.

This is a weekend trip: Saturday we drink our way through the city's great traditional beer culture; Sunday we explore its art and history (separate event).

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##### 🍺 The crawl

I've put together a route through a hand-picked selection of Cologne's most characterful Brauhäuser and beer halls — but I'll keep the actual stops a surprise. 😏 Half the fun is not knowing where we're headed next. What I can tell you: expect everything from sawdust-on-the-floor institutions where the locals outnumber the tourists, to ornate century-old halls, to a place where the Kölsch comes with live jazz — each with its own strong character, all pouring the fresh, dangerously drinkable local beer. We'll roam a good few, at a relaxed pace, eating along the way.

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##### 📋 Good to know

• 🍺 Kölsch is moreish — it goes down dangerously easily, so pace yourself.
• 💶 Bring cash — a couple of the best spots are cash-only.
• 🍽️ Most stops serve classic Rhineland food, so we'll eat as we go — no need to plan dinner separately.
• 🕐 We start at 11:30 sharp for a good reason — trust me, timing matters for the first stops, so please be on time!

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##### 🗓️ Practical info

• 📅 When: Saturday 5 September 2026 · from 11:30
• 📍 Where: Cologne Deutz Station
• 🚆 Getting there: Cologne is ~3 hours by direct train from the Randstad — an easy weekend hop. Please sort your own travel & accommodation; happy to share tips on where to stay.
• 🌐 Language: English

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##### 👀 Who's this for?

Anyone who loves beer culture done properly, a good wander through a great city, and the sociable ritual of a proper crawl. Come for the whole weekend or just the Saturday. 🍻

See you in Cologne — glasses up!