Kölsch, Pils, Weizen – everyone knows the names. But can you taste the difference?

We won't start at a brewpub, but at a neutral location in the Old Town. Three glasses, no labels, blindfold on. First you taste, then you guess – and then you'll learn what makes Kölsch special and why only beer brewed here can be called Kölsch. If you guess correctly, you'll get a shot on the house at the end.

Then it's out into the alleyways. In every brewery house, a Kölsch awaits you – served unasked in a tall glass, because that's how things are done here. Along the way, you'll learn the unwritten rules of the brewpub and pass by places that most people just walk past: the Kallendresser, the Platzjabbek and the Willy Ostermann Fountain, where the focus is on Carnival and Cologne songs.

The tour is led by a Cologne city guide who has conducted over 300 brewery tours. I decide which breweries we'll visit depending on the group and how busy they are – so you won't end up sitting in a crowded tourist spot.