Cologne’s traditional city centre is home to a number of Brauhäuser, or brewery restaurants, that are steeped in tradition. The warren of streets between the Cathedral, City Hall and the Rhine Promenade is always bustling with activity.
In the early 19th century, breweries began to sell their beer to the public in their own vestibules or courtyards. In the many years since then, these makeshift pubs developed into the brewery restaurants we know today. These original pubs were very basic compared to modern restaurants. But in spite of all the ways they have changed, the brewery restaurants have never lost their rustic charm.
One special characteristic of Cologne’s Brauhäuser is that their names are in the local Kölsch dialect. There’s hardly any other major city that has so many pubs and restaurants with local dialect names. Em Krützche (At the wayside shrine) along the Rhine, Bei d’r Tant (At my aunt’s) on the Cäcilienstraße, and Em Golde Kappes (At the golden cabbage) in the Nippes district are just a few examples.
Cologne’s oldest Brauhäuser include the Brauhaus Sion on Unter Taschenmacher, which first opened its doors in 1511, the Cölner Hofbräu P. Josef Früh near the Cathedral and the Brauerei Päffgen on the Friesenstraße. Other Brauhäuser that are firmly established in Cologne include the Malzmühle in the Heumarkt, which was founded in 1858 and was once visited by former US President Bill Clinton, and the Schreckenskammer, which is located directly across from the Romanesque Church of St. Ursula.
The Brauhäuser have an atmosphere of their very own. Nowhere else is the Kölsch culture so enthusiastically cultivated, and nowhere else is Cologne’s legendary hospitality so clearly in evidence. Here communication is easy, social differences become meaningless, and people can drink and have fun together. Let yourself be carried away by Cologne’s way of life and dive into its traditional Brauhaus culture.
The brewery restaurants
The Köbes
The waiters in a Brauhaus are called “köbes” — a unique custom in Germany’s hospitality trade. Depending on the individual, they might be cheeky, very friendly, laid-back, rude or taciturn. This may be irritating at first, but guests quickly get used to this kind of treatment.
The word “köbes” is derived from the name Jacob and goes back to the time when Cologne was a centre of pilgrimage. The köbes’ traditional uniform is unmistakable. They wear the same outfit as the brewery workers of past centuries: a blue knitted jacket with a high collar and a double row of black buttons, black trousers, a blue apron and a leather wallet strapped around the belly.
They rush back and forth through the restaurant holding their “crowns” — round trays with a handle and many slots for glasses — serving guests with freshly tapped kölsch beer.
Kölsch beer
“Drink doch ene met...” (Drink one with us) The focus of Cologne’s Brauhaus culture is kölsch — the local top-fermented beer. The word “kölsch” refers not only to the type of beer but also to Cologne’s traditional local culture and to the local dialect.
The beer is served in a typical tall cylindrical glass called a “stange” that holds 0.2 litres of liquid. Because these glasses have such a small capacity and the beer is tapped from a ten-litre barrel called a Pittermännchen, the kölsch is always fresh and cool. Thanks to its special type of fermentation, kölsch contains less sugar and malt substances than other types of beer. The high proportion of hops and the low carbonic acid content make kölsch especially light and digestible.
But the really special thing about this type of beer is that it may only be brewed in Cologne. There are about 25 different brands of kölsch.
The food
Typical Cologne dishes are hearty and down to earth, and some of them require getting used to. The typical Fooderkaat (menu) includes many regional specialities. One very popular snack is Halve Hahn, half of a rye bread roll topped with a thick slice of mature Dutch cheese and mustard.
Favourite main dishes include Rhenish Sauerbraten and Himmel un Äd (Heaven and earth), which consists of mashed potatoes and apple sauce fried together with slices of black pudding or liver sausage.
Another local speciality that can also be bought at street vans is Rievkooche (potato fritters), which are made of grated raw potatoes, wheat flour, a pinch of salt and, according to taste, finely grated onions. The fritters are baked in oil or fat and served with cranberry preserves or apple sauce.