Craft Beer in Köln

When my husband and I decided to move to Köln he had only a few must haves. He needed a place for coffee: Funkhaus. He needed a place for Mexican food: Casita Mexicana. And, he needed a place for an I.P.A.. About a month after we moved here, Craftbeer Corner Coeln open up! Hallelujah!

Beer is a very personal and sensitive issue in Germany. Many cities and villages have their own specific beer. In Köln, the beer is Kölsch and it is consumed cold, fresh and often. The Kölsch Stange glass is .2 cl and is often referred to as a Reagenzglas or test tube. The beer is very drinkable, especially on a hot summer day. There are several codes to conform to when making beer in Germany. One is the German Beer Purity Law of 1516, and the 1603 Köln young brewer’s oath “that you prepare your beer, as of old, from good malt, good cereals, and good hops, well-boiled, and that you pitch it with top-yeast, and by no means with bottom yeast.” In 1986, the Kölsch Konvention limited the location that Kölsch could be brewed, within 50 km. That said, it is widely agreed upon that you can only call it Kölsch if it was brewed in the shadow of the Dom.

So, it is in this environment, in the old town of Köln, that a group of guys decided to open a craftbeer taproom. They have 15 taps of beers from a Weiss to a Pilsner, to a Bock to a Sour, IPAs and Stouts. Their intent has been to educate each client about what they were drinking, where it came from, how it was brewed and how it compares with other beers. Every month or so they will have a “Tap Takeover” where a brewery will come in and share all of specific beers.

To say that my husband was pleased when we discovered Craftbeer Corner Coeln would be an understatement. I have enjoyed not only the beer but the people as well. Lucas always greeted me with a hug. Andre tells us what we are drinking because he knows what we like. Kiki will share a special beer with us on a break and share US National Park travel stories. And the newest person is Rose who shares her insights with a generous smile.

Since they are only open from Wednesday to Saturday, we often bring our growlers for the week! IPAs in Köln, the best of both worlds!