It’s fall and temperatures are fluctuating; it’s been unseasonably warm in places like Texas. So as the seasons change, beer drinkers aren’t necessarily reaching for stouts, porters, or pumpkin ales quite yet. There’s still a need for ultra-refreshing ale that drinks like a crisp lager, and we have the perfect one for you: Gaffel Kölsch, a snappy, light-bodied beer. Here’s why it’s one of the best beers for early autumn and one of our 50 favorite beers of the year.
What Is a Kölsch?
Kölsch is a crisp, lightly fruity ale. Originating in Cologne, it’s made with ale yeast but, like a lager, it’s top-fermented—meaning yeast accumulates on the top of the fermentation tank—and cold-conditioned. You can read more about this style of beer here.
Related: Need a Crisp Beer for Warm Days? Fill Your Glass With This Cheap German Specialty
Why Gaffel Kölsch Is the Best Kölsch of 2026
Gaffel sells most of its Kölsch within a 100-kilometer radius of Cologne. The family-owned brewery describes the beer as “pure, clear, and bright,” which is pretty spot on. Their briskly carbonated Kölsch tastes of freshly baked bread with a bit of lemon zest.
Overall, this is refreshing, sessionable, slightly bitter, and aromatic. If you’re pairing with a meal, Gaffel Kölsch excels with fish and salads.
Gaffel Kölsch Specs
Courtesy Brand
- Style: Kölsch
- Brewery: Privatbrauerei Gaffel Becker & Co., Cologne, Germany
- ABV: 4.5 percent
Methodology: How We Tested
I created the Men’s Journal Best Beers awards list by blending expert input with brand longevity, awards, online ratings, and accessibility. In other words, I tried not to select one-off West Coast IPAs that are only sold at taprooms for two hours on a Tuesday. Instead, most of these beers are available across the U.S., meaning you won’t have to book a plane ticket to tick these bevs off your bucket list.
I began by canvassing seasoned beer experts for their top picks, then cross-referenced popular ratings sites such as Untappd. Instead of sipping from a can or bottle, I poured each beer into its appropriate glassware to appreciate its foam. The cloudy cap—caused by carbon dioxide surging to the surface—captures a beer’s aromatic compounds and delivers a more fragrant experience, each tiny pop a blast of a beer’s distinct perfume.
It takes about three sips to acclimate your palate and get a true snapshot of a beer, and I gave each beer a full appraisal. A great beer fired on all cylinders, from flavor to foam, appearance and fragrances, its memory lingering long after I emptied a glass.
Related: Why Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine Is the Freshest Craft Beer You’ll Find in Grocery Stores
Why You Should Trust Me
I’m a veteran journalist who’s been covering the beer industry for more than two decades, thoroughly chronicling the rise of the American craft beer industry for The New York Times, Food & Wine, Imbibe magazine and, of course, Men’s Journal. I’m also the author of six books on beer including The Complete Beer Course, which has sold more than 100,000 copies and been translated into multiple languages.
Over the decades, I’ve tasted thousands of different beers, from spiced pumpkin ales to summer shandies, coffee-infused stouts, spontaneously fermented Belgian ales, lightly fruity kölsch, nonalcoholic beers, and every mass-produced lager you can name. For this article, I refreshed my palate by trying dozens of beers over a two-month period.
In addition to my own evaluations, this guide features insights from our panel of industry experts: Advanced Cicerone David Nilsen (writer and publisher of Final Gravity and Bean to Barstool); Em Sauter (cartoonist, founder of Pints and Panels, Advanced Cicerone, and beer judge); Jenn Klein (certified cicerone and resident beer expert for Yard House); Shane Monteiro (chief operations officer for Brooklyn bar Queue Beer); Allo Gilinsky (hospitality and education manager for Fieldwork Brewing); Mark Medura (founder and CEO of Level Crossing Brewing Company); and Eric Steen (founder of Forest Green PR and creator of Earth to Beer).
