We’ve dubbed 2022 the #YearOfTheLager….but maybe #YearOfTheEuropeanBeerInfluence would have been much better (but not nearly as catchy). It all began with the side pull tap. A topic we covered over a year ago.

With the side pull tap came the ever polarizing milk pour. Because as we all know, if milk pours are done through any other tap line it’s just a really nasty pour.

So what’s next in the world of European influence that is infiltrating Pennsylvania? Kölsch Service!

For those not familiar Kölsch Service is a very special type of service that gets its roots from where the style of beer originated, Cologne, Germany. Think of it like an all-you-can-eat steakhouse; where servers bring a variety of food to you until you flip your card over and have had enough. Kölsch service works in a very similar manner.

Breweries will pour beer into special glasses known as “stanges” and you will have a coaster in front of you. Every time you get a new stange of Kölsch a mark is made on the coaster. Once you are finished you place the coaster at the top of your glass to signify you are done. (Until the coaster makes it up there, servers will keep coming by and offering you your latest stange). At the end of the night, you are charged for the amount of Kölsch you consumed.

And so far the service has infiltrated the major metropolitan areas of Pennsylvania. As of this writing Dancing Gnome, Eleventh Hour, Second Sin, Workhorse Brewing and Hop Farm have held services in the past.

There’s no telling if this will sweep the state or become a fun offering for a handful of breweries. Only time will tell.