Beer · Explainer
What is the difference between pils, helles and kölsch?
Pils and helles are bottom-fermented, kölsch is top-fermented. Pils is the bitterest: 22 to 40 IBU, against 16 to 22 IBU for helles and 18 to 30 IBU for kölsch. Kölsch is moreover protected, because since the Kölsch-Konvention of 1986 only beer from Cologne and surroundings may be called that. In the Netherlands the designation pils requires an original gravity (wort content) of 11 to 13.5 percent.
In brief
The key figures
| Pils according to the Dutch rules | Light-coloured beer with an original gravity of 11 to 13.5 percent |
|---|---|
| German pils | 4.4 to 5.2 per cent alcohol, 22 to 40 IBU |
| Munich helles | 4.7 to 5.4 percent alcohol, 16 to 22 IBU |
| Kölsch | 4.4 to 5.2 percent alcohol, 18 to 30 IBU |
| Fermentation | Pils and helles bottom-fermented, kölsch top-fermented |
| Kölsch Convention | 1986, protected geographical indication for Cologne and surroundings |
| Kölsch in German figures | About 4.8 percent alcohol, original gravity 11.3 percent on average |
| Age | NIX18: geen alcohol onder de 18 jaar |
What is the difference between pils and helles?
Pils is drier and hoppier, helles is maltier and softer, while both are bottom-fermented and sit at around five percent alcohol.
The style guidelines put German pils at 22 to 40 IBU and Munich helles at 16 to 22 IBU. In the description, helles is called fuller in body and less dry in the finish, with the same flavour building blocks but a different emphasis.
With pils you notice the hop in the aroma and in the finish; with helles you notice mainly grain and bread.
Why is kölsch not a pils?
Kölsch is top-fermented and pils is bottom-fermented; the difference lies in the yeast type and the fermentation temperature, not in the colour.
The Cologne brewers' association describes kölsch as a clear, highly fermented, hop-accented, top-fermenting Vollbier. The beer ferments warm like an ale and then matures cold, so that it looks light and clear like a lager but keeps a fruity touch.
The style guidelines therefore also state that kölsch is regularly mistaken for a restrained German pils.
Can any beer call itself kölsch?
No: since the Kölsch-Konvention of 1986, only beer from Cologne and its immediate surroundings may be called kölsch, with an exception for breweries that already made it earlier.
The name is recognised in the European scheme as a protected geographical indication. The Konvention also lays down the serving: kölsch goes into the stange, a straight glass of 0.2 litre. The German brewers' association lists 24 breweries that may brew kölsch.
No such geographical protection exists for pils and for helles.
What do the Dutch rules say about the name pils?
Dutch rules reserve the designation pils for pale beers with an original gravity of 11 to 13.5 percent.
The Warenwetbesluit Gereserveerde aanduidingen lays down further beer designations. At least 60 percent of the extract content of the wort must come from barley or wheat malt. Alcohol-free beer contains at most 0.1 percent alcohol by volume, low-alcohol beer more than 0.1 and at most 1.2 percent by volume. For bok, an original gravity above 15 percent applies.
The Dutch rules say nothing about helles and kölsch, because those are German concepts.
Which one would you choose for what?
Choose pils with savoury food, helles for a long afternoon and kölsch if you are looking for something light with a fruity touch.
Pils has the driest finish and washes away fat. Helles has less bitterness and is therefore easier to keep drinking. Kölsch, at 18 to 30 IBU, sits between the two and in Cologne is served in small glasses of 0.2 litres, so that every glass stays cold.
NIX18: alcohol gaat niet naar iemand onder de 18 jaar.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which pilsners are on the shelf?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 39 pilsners from 25 different brands from 8 countries. Prices range from € 0.90 to € 89.99. The alcohol percentage ranges from 4% to 6.4%.
- Aardig Geitje 5% · 75 cl · Belgium
- Alfa Edel Pils 5% · 720 cl · Netherlands
- Amstel Bright 5% · 27 cl · Netherlands
- Asahi Super Dry 5.2% · 33 cl · Japan
- Bavaria Glutenvrij 5% · 33 cl · Netherlands
- Brand Premium Pilsener 5% · 720 cl · Netherlands
- Budels Pilsner 5% · 30 cl · Netherlands
- Carlsberg 5% · 33 cl · Denmark
- Cerveza Alhambra reserva 1925 6.4% · 33 cl · Spain
- Estrella Free Damm Glutenvrij 150 cl · Spain
Related questions
What is the difference between weizen and witbier?What is Christmas beer and how does it differ from winter beer?What are lambic and gueuze?
Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- Is helles the same as blond beer?
- No. Helles is a German bottom-fermented lager; blond in Belgium is a top-fermented beer that is generally stronger.
- How much bitterness does a pils have?
- German pils is listed in the style guidelines at 22 to 40 IBU, higher than helles with 16 to 22 IBU.
- Why is Kölsch served in such small glasses?
- The Kölsch-Konvention prescribes the stange, a straight glass of 0.2 litres, so that every glass reaches the table cold.
- May a Dutch beer call itself a pilsner?
- Yes, if it is light in colour and has an original gravity of 11 to 13.5 percent.
- How big is helles in Germany?
- The German brewers' association reported a market share of 8.9 percent for 2021, about 14 percent more than the year before.
The reasoning
Sources
- Warenwetbesluit Gereserveerde aanduidingen, Overheid.nl (accessed 2026-09-07)
- 5D German Pils, Beer Style Guidelines 2021, Beer Judge Certification Program (accessed 7 September 2026)
- 4A Munich Helles, Beer Style Guidelines 2021, Beer Judge Certification Program (accessed 2026-09-07)
- 5B Kölsch, Beer Style Guidelines 2021, Beer Judge Certification Program (accessed 7 September 2026)
- Kölsch en de Kölsch-Konvention, Kölner Brauerei-Verband (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Kölsch, Deutscher Brauer-Bund (accessed 2026-09-07)
This page is written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine & spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 13 October 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.