Just returned from a few days holiday in Amsterdam and Cologne. Due to shortage of time, I visited mainly the tourist areas. I guess the same rule applies for both cities -- get off the beaten track and find where the locals drink and you can get a decent beer cheaper than the tourist areas. Note that I am not a real ale expert, just a recreational drinker, UK based. I got some good info. via this board prior to arranging my holidays, so I am posting back.
Amsterdam -- loads of pubs/bars/restaurants! In 3 days I didn't even scratch the surface. I mainly stuck to lager, served in either 330 ml or 600ml (nearly a UK pint) glasses. What can I say about Heineken/Brand/Amstel which is found throughout A'dam -- it varies from pub to pub. Sometimes good, sometimes crap, sometimes passable. Notable mentions: Spui, where the 1,2, 5 tram passes. There is a Leeuw pub and an Amstel pub right next door to each other. Both seemed to have local clientele along with the locals. Dommelsch -- I suspect this is a German brew? I took quite a liking to this lager, especially a pint I had in an Irish pub just on the edge of the Red Light District (Barneys, I think it was called). Incidentally, the Red Light District pubs are OK if you are looking for Irish/British noisy pubs, but beer quality will probably vary from pub to pub here. Avoid: I never had a decent drink from the bars on Leideseplein. Some of the ones down the back streets may be better. Also, people recommended I try De Koninck. I ordered a small DeK on draught at a bar just down Spuistraat from the 2 decent bars mentioned above. After a couple of sips I gave up -- it tasted like vinegar! An acquired taste or a bad barrel? Summary for Amsterdam: More research required!
Cologne (Koln): Only 2 days so I mainly stayed round the tourist places near the Dom (Cathedral) -- Alter Markt, HeuMarkt. There are a surprising number of beer serving places if you wander around the tourist area a bit. Gaffel seems to be the predominant brand name. I bought a T shirt from the Gaffel shop on Alter Markt. Coming from a UK pint-based tradition and with my previous German visits being to Munich Oktoberfest (1 litre steins!), it took me a day to get to grips with the 200ml Koelsch glasses. Initially I downed the beer much too fast and/or ordered 300ml or 400ml servings (available in a lot of the tourist bars or beer halls). But I suspect Koelsch is a bit stronger, has more body compared to the Munich brands. Notable mentions: I walked into a local bar, junction of Johannistr. and Machaber Str. , on the opposite side of the railway station to the tourist area. It was a basic "spit and sawdust" bar and the landlord was downright surly to me as I didn't speak hardly any German (for the tourist areas, "Danke" + "Bitte" + "ein bier"will suffice.) But I settled in with the locals to watch the soccer and downed several glasses which tasted better and were cheaper than in the tourist traps. Also (and this is mentioned by the guy who posts here sometimes and has a web site with beer/pub guides to many European cities.) the Paulaner beer hall on Thurnmarkt -- just walk along the river front under the Deutzer bridge then its on your right. After those 200ml glasses a couple of 500ml muncheners barely hit the sides as they went down! Oh, and I bought a Paulaner T shirt from them. Summary for Koln: this is Germany, so you'll always get something drinkable! Weather was great, so sitting out in one of the squares was a joy. Also, a tourist boat trip up and down the Rhine was great. Draught beer (Dom brand) was, of course, provided on board the boat!
Bruce