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It All Ends Up in the Same Place

The cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, have been long-time rivals, and one of the big rivalries is over which city has the best beer. Düsseldorf residents prefer its dark copper-coloured Altbier, while natives of Cologne stand by its golden pale ale Kölsch. In a Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences study, 50 residents from each city were asked to compare the two beers in an open taste test; 78 percent of the participants preferred their city’s beer. But when the participants were blindfolded, they couldn’t tell the beers apart, correctly identifying each beer only about 55 percent of the time (statistically about the same as a coin flip). “These results are quite amazing,” the study’s lead researcher said. “Because it is unbelievable that men cannot differentiate objectively between Kölsch and Alt.” Locals, however, weren’t as positive about the results. “My dear Professor Helmut Quack,” a columnist for Cologne’s Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper wrote. “We Cologners do not care that you have found out after 15 years of researching that there’s no difference in taste between Kölsch and Alt.... Do you actually still have friends?” The salutation wasn’t intended as an insult: the research was led by Prof. Helmut Quack. (MS/Local Germany) ...Which some locals would argue is a suitable title.