A dual homage to North Park

Today, The Original 40 Brewing will release two beers that pay homage to its North Park neighborhood, University Ave Kölsch and University Ave Raspberry Kölsch. University Avenue is the main east-west road in North Park and is home to dozens of restaurants, bars, breweries and retail locations. The Original 40 is named after the original 40-acre parcel of land that became modern-day North Park.

Both kölsch-style ales, which come in at 4.8% alcohol by volume, will be available on draft and in four packs of 16-ounce cans. Draft beers will be poured using a side-pull faucet, which allows for thick, creamy-headed pints more commonly found in Europe than the US.

“These kölsch beers were fun to create, and I can’t wait to see the reactions from our regulars and those who walk through our doors for the first time,” says Head Brewer Zack Kaplan. “We stepped out of the box a little by using different techniques that we hadn’t yet tried since I joined the brewery last May, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. I believe the raspberry edition especially will turn heads from both visual and tasting standpoints.”

University Ave Kölsch was brewed with German Bohemian Pilsner Malt, utilizing traditional German brewing techniques to mimic a classic German kölsch. A spunding valve was used during fermentation to recapture as much of the CO2 produced, as well as the natural carbonation. 

For the raspberry edition pours a clear, deep-red to light-pink hue. Fresh Pacific Northwest red raspberries were used so that the beer would burst with fruit flavors and aromas. No extracts or artificial flavorings were included.

“There’s nothing like the goodness of a clean German kölsch,” says founder and North Park resident Steve Billings. “Zack nailed it. These are the perfect beers, especially the raspberry kölsch with its vibrant color, to celebrate our vibrant North Park community we’ve called home for nearly three years now.”