Zipline Brewing Company - German-Style Kölsch

This classic style originating in Cologne (Köln), in western Germany, is a bit of a hybrid as it’s made with top-fermenting ale yeast, but then cold conditioned like lager. Zipline’s interpretation certainly looks the part, offering a bright and robust head of foam atop a radiant pale golden brew. Very on-point central European noble hop aromas jump out straight away, offering up notes of spice, grass, earth, and fruitiness hinting at citrus zest. Look for crispness and excellent balance to define this super refreshing brew on the palate. At the center, we get a simple but delicious malt profile offering tones of toasty wheat and light honey-like caramelization, balanced nicely by the hops which bring a moderately bitter bite alongside pleasant spicy, earthy, and lightly fruity notes. Kölsch makes a versatile partner for food pairings, and your options are vast. Our favorites include sausages – like grilled brats with caramelized onions – although most items off the grill will work well. Sauteed shrimp, chicken tacos with spicy jack cheese, and fried catfish sound good, too. Fruity desserts work nicely, as well, for a sweeter option. Cheers!

Zipline Brewing Company in Lincoln, Nebraska first started production back in 2012, focused on making high-quality beers and building up a sustainable community around those beers that the brewery would be able to support. While the brewery started with just one of their three brewery founders, Marcus Powers, as the company’s lone employee, in just a few years Zipline grew to about 40 employees.

After their opening, the brewery quickly grew to the full capacity of their production system, and they decided to respond to that constraint by focusing on their nearby markets and adding retail locations. Zipline’s first taproom opened up in 2013 adjacent to their brewery in Lincoln, and they opened the Zipline Beer Hall in November 2016, the latter also in Lincoln, but focusing more on a beer-garden vibe. The brewery’s third taproom opened in summer 2017, in northern downtown Omaha, with more of an urban industrial vibe, and Zipline opened their Culture Lab facility (focusing on mixed-fermentation beers and wild projects) there in February of 2019. For good measure, Zipline’s fourth taproom, the Zipline Beer Lounge, opened in Omaha in summer of 2019.

Currently, Zipline produces a variety of year-round brews alongside a wide array of seasonal, small-batch, and barrel-aged beers, including a few that we’ve featured in our Rare Beer Club, such as their delicious MAAANGO! IPA. For more info on the brewery and their multiple locations in Nebraska, visit ziplinebrewing.com.