In Search of the Perfect Brew

For the last 754 years, the twin spires of Cologne's mighty cathedral, the Dom, have been considered a link between heaven and earth. Yet the locals believe that the sandstone Gothic giant is not the only place in this Rhine city of more than 1 million people where the celestial meets the terrestrial. Enter any one of the many Brauhäuser, or brewery pubs, nestling in the shadow of the Dom, try a glass of the delicious pale, top-fermented ale called Kölsch, (meaning from Cologne) and you'll know what the nectar of the gods tastes like.

Cologne's citizens have...