This week we decided to switch things up a bit and review a brew! This Kolsh brew comes from Metropolitan Brewery in Chicago, Illinois. Specializing in German style lagers since 2009, Metropolitan Brewery is located along the Chicago River and offers an indoor/outdoor beer garden and storefront. Although we unfortunately were not able to visit, we do plan on stopping by and reviewing the brewery itself in the future. We chose to pick up a six-pack of their flagship beer, Krankshaft, which is available year-round and pays homage to the Kolsh-style German beer that is originally brewed under strict conditions in Cologne, Germany.
He says: Would buy again
This brew is a lagered ale which essentially means that it is fermented by a top fermenting yeast but at cooler temperatures then an ale and then stored at cool to cold temperatures similar to lagers. This beer has an appealing straw like color that is somewhat dull, but definitely not cloudy. The foam left a nice lace on the glass and the overall taste left a pleasant lingering finish. A semi-light beer that has notes of roasted grain with hints of fruit which gives way to a wonderful balance of malt and hops. Krankshaft is a light drinking beer that tasted surprisingly “brewery-fresh” (considering it came from a bottle). I’m very pleased we stumbled across this gem, I would highly recommend trying Krankshaft and we are both looking forward to checking out the beer garden and other beers that Metropolitan has to offer in the future.
She says: Would buy again
Being transparent with my online reviews, I will be the first to say that I am not a huge beer fan for the simple reason that these types of beverages make me feel full, leaving little space for delicious dinners and desserts. That being said, I do enjoy a beer from time to time and this weekend we chose a Metropolitan Brewery Kolsch called Krankshaft.
This was my first time drinking a bottled Kolsch, previously I have enjoyed this type of beer in draft form and I was pleasantly surprised that Krankshaft had that “on-tap” flavor. Every sip of this beer was refreshing, even the last. It has a light honey/pale straw appearance and was very smooth, no bitterness noted. I tasted floral hints combined with fresh bread and pine that evolved into a mild and pleasant yeast finish. The yeasty aftertaste did not linger long, which I liked. This is the perfect beer to enjoy with a variety of different meal ideas and the best part, I did not have that full feeling when the bottle was empty! I will definitely choose Krankshaft as a go-to beer for my carbonation-hating tummy again and again.
