Kings Beer & Wine owner Mark Fogleman visited Germany this spring and experienced the traditional way to drink some of the country’s brews. That inspired a new weekly event at his Phoenix bottle shop and tasting room.
Fogleman has brought Kolsch service, a style of service where small, ice-cold glasses of beer are continuously served, to Phoenix. Kings debuted the weekly event on June 22 and will offer the service, in addition to its 81-tap beer selection, all day on Saturdays through Labor Day weekend.
“I believe we’re the first ones to do it in the Valley,” Fogleman says. “We just wanted to do it in a traditional manner and give people the real experience with a real Kolsch from the origin in Köln, Germany.”
Kings has teamed up with Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf, a brewer from Cologne, or Köln in German, that has made the ale-lager hybrid since 1894. Seven-ounce pours of the beer will be available at Kings for $3 apiece during the Saturday service.
While American breweries will turn out several styles of beer, traditional European brewers often only make one or two, leaving the question of an order to be a simple yes or no.
Fogleman assented, and a tall cylindrical glass of altbier – the style that city is known for – quickly arrived. The server also dropped a coaster with a hash on it, indicating Fogleman’s first drink.
“I was like, ‘Ooh, this is Kolsch service,’ so I was beyond thrilled that I got to experience it first-hand,” he says.
After each seven-ish-ounce glass, called a stange, is emptied, another appears.
“The default is that you’ll have another,” Fogleman explains.
Roaming servers carry a kranz, a wreath-like tray full of stanges to quickly replenish those empties. When they're finished, drinkers indicate that to servers by covering their glass with their coaster, which then becomes the ticket to settle up with at the end. 
‘Kolsch is the perfect style for summer’
Kings’ servers will follow the traditional German format, right down to tracking each drinker’s number of stanges on their coaster.
The format and beer style work well in the Arizona heat, Folgeman says.
“Kolsch is the perfect style for summer," he says. "It’s crisp, it’s refreshing, it’s bubbly, it’s low ABV.”
While Kolsch services have popped up at breweries and watering holes around the country, they haven’t taken off in Phoenix thus far. After the event on June 22, Fogleman feels optimistic that may change.
“We weren’t quite sure how people were going to receive it," he says. "So far it’s been an overwhelming hit."
Fogleman has brought Kolsch service, a style of service where small, ice-cold glasses of beer are continuously served, to Phoenix. Kings debuted the weekly event on June 22 and will offer the service, in addition to its 81-tap beer selection, all day on Saturdays through Labor Day weekend.
“I believe we’re the first ones to do it in the Valley,” Fogleman says. “We just wanted to do it in a traditional manner and give people the real experience with a real Kolsch from the origin in Köln, Germany.”
Kings has teamed up with Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf, a brewer from Cologne, or Köln in German, that has made the ale-lager hybrid since 1894. Seven-ounce pours of the beer will be available at Kings for $3 apiece during the Saturday service.
Mark Fogleman, owner of Kings Beer & Wine, says he's been pleasantly surprised by the response to the tasting room's Kolsch service.
Alec Johnson
What is Kolsch service?
A marker of Kolsch service is that it's continuous, ensuring the beer stays cold and crisp.
“The whole idea behind it is your beer never has a chance to warm up because you drink it, and as you get down to the bottom, the next one appears,” Fogleman explains.
He recalls an experience at a brewery in Düsseldorf. As he sat down, the server greeted him with a simple question: “Beer?”
While American breweries will turn out several styles of beer, traditional European brewers often only make one or two, leaving the question of an order to be a simple yes or no.
Fogleman assented, and a tall cylindrical glass of altbier – the style that city is known for – quickly arrived. The server also dropped a coaster with a hash on it, indicating Fogleman’s first drink.
“I was like, ‘Ooh, this is Kolsch service,’ so I was beyond thrilled that I got to experience it first-hand,” he says.
After each seven-ish-ounce glass, called a stange, is emptied, another appears.
“The default is that you’ll have another,” Fogleman explains.
Roaming servers carry a kranz, a wreath-like tray full of stanges to quickly replenish those empties. When they're finished, drinkers indicate that to servers by covering their glass with their coaster, which then becomes the ticket to settle up with at the end.
During its Kolsch service, Kings Beer & Wine will offer continuous pours of Reissdorf Kolsch.
Kings Beer & Wine
‘Kolsch is the perfect style for summer’
Kings’ servers will follow the traditional German format, right down to tracking each drinker’s number of stanges on their coaster. The format and beer style work well in the Arizona heat, Folgeman says.
“Kolsch is the perfect style for summer," he says. "It’s crisp, it’s refreshing, it’s bubbly, it’s low ABV.”
While Kolsch services have popped up at breweries and watering holes around the country, they haven’t taken off in Phoenix thus far. After the event on June 22, Fogleman feels optimistic that may change.
“We weren’t quite sure how people were going to receive it," he says. "So far it’s been an overwhelming hit."
