![](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiLchnmpOI2h4QHvgfQaI6vhMPsRBX991BQYE6o4l03H6opzz-xMRQ7emMId-O-WtQegmQxlIS5W1ToaC7OM6ZlG1yxfkr62QTZsp6dbsRv70o92dlWtYA0lgrqqYkgO-8MybqGDuLZUcb5iRYNLpVMFIXMy7F3shIsNwr50trFnWhcMQP8sfugpvimJII\/s4348\/Koln%20cathedral.JPG\")
<\/a><\/div>\nI was having a sort out earlier this morning, when I Brauerei P\u00e4ffgen<\/b> is a place that is well-known to beer I didn\u2019t plan on waiting 34 years<\/b> before returning, but in We ordered a K\u00f6<\/span>lsch<\/b> each and were pleasantly surprised by In May 2017<\/b>, I made a non-work-related visit to Cologne,<\/b> We were in Cologne <\/b>for a look around, and also to Housed in a rather functional-looking building, Malzm\u00fchle Our day in Cologne<\/b> concluded with the aforementioned After our tour around the brewery concluded, we enjoyed an excellent One city centre K\u00f6lsch<\/b> outlet that I visited, during one of my The Pfaffen <\/span><\/u>tavern <\/b>is I\u2019m not sure as to when I first came across Schreckenskamme<\/a>r-K\u00f6lsch<\/a>.<\/b> Situated to the north-west of Cologne\u2019s <\/b>imposing main The There was a small room over to the left, with its own When the waiter, or Kobe<\/b>, passed, by with his tray of glasses, he uttered Finding Schreckenskammer <\/b>left just one final, classic Described as a throwback to a bygone era, Lommi\u2019s<\/b> is a proper
\nstumbled upon a pile of notes that I\u2019d made in relation to the Rhineland<\/b> city
\nof Cologne.<\/b> As you’re no doubt aware, last month I published a quite lengthy piece
\nconsisting of reflections, looking back over my many visits to the city. I
\ntried to make the post as comprehensive as possible but obviously couldn’t include
\neverything. Now, after looking back over these notes, it\u2019s evident there are quite
\na few gaps, and so, in the interests of completeness, I’ve added them in here.
\nBut will this be the final word on Cologne?<\/b> A city I have visited on eight
\nseparate occasions, which is more than any other overseas destinations. The
\nanswer is I don’t know, although it certainly is for the time being, so sit back and
\nrelax as I describe a few more of Cologne\u2019s <\/b>beery gems. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/b><\/div>\n
\nlovers; not only is its wonderfully hoppy K\u00f6<\/span>lsch<\/b> brewed at the rear of the
\npremises, but it is also dispensed from wooden casks. A former school friend
\nhad taken me to P\u00e4ffgen <\/b>during my first visit to Cologne,<\/b> way back in 1975.<\/b> My
\nfriend was living and working in the city as part of the language degree he was
\ntaking. I was also a student, but at the time was travelling around Europe,<\/b> by
\ntrain, on an Inter-Rail <\/b>ticket with a friend from university. Even back then I
\nhad a reputation for enjoying good beer so my host, knowing this fact, had
\ntaken me to P\u00e4ffge<\/b>n as he knew I would be impressed.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n2009<\/b>, on an evening out with a few colleagues, whilst attending the Cologne
\nInternational Dental Show,<\/b> I was finally able to make that return visit to
\nP\u00e4ffgen. <\/b>With a sense of eager anticipation, my colleagues and I pushed open the
\ndoor, and found ourselves in a central corridor with a small room leading off
\nto the left, and a much larger one to the right. We opted for the latter and
\nwere soon seated at one of the many tables in the wood-panelled room. On the
\nway in we noticed two up-ended wooden casks, tapped and ready for serving. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nits hoppy flavour. I had a look round the rest of the pub to see if it would
\nbring back any memories. I recognised the large back room at the end of the
\ncorridor as being the place where, on a damp July evening, my friend and I had
\nsat enjoying several glasses of P\u00e4ffgen K\u00f6<\/span>lsch<\/b>. It was great to be back, even
\nif the memories were rather vague but sadly, as mentioned previously, I haven\u2019t
\nbeen back since then, despite several attempts during subsequent visits to IDS.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nalong with son Matthew.<\/b> We were part of a group of beer enthusiasts drawn
\nmainly from Maidstone CAMRA<\/b>, plus a few neighbouring branches. Our visit to
\nCologne<\/b> was a one-day interlude, that occurred during a stay in the
\nneighbouring Rhineland<\/b> city of D\u00fcsseldorf <\/b>\u2013 basically what Americans
\nwould call a \u201cside-trip.\u201d<\/i><\/b> The transit time between the two cities is around 35
\nminutes,<\/b> so it\u2019s a journey that\u2019s well worth making. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nhave a tour around a typical K\u00f6lsch<\/b> brewery, in the guise of Brauerei
\nS\u00fcnner<\/b><\/a>. Our visit was not scheduled until later in the afternoon, so
\nthis gave us plenty of time for a look around Cologne<\/b> and also to sample some K\u00f6lsch.
\n<\/b>We decided to make for Brauerei
\nzur <\/b><\/span><\/a>Malzm\u00fchle<\/b><\/a> <\/b>at
\nHeumarkt<\/b>; an old established former brewpub at the far end of the Alter
\nMarkt. <\/b>This was a pub I had never managed to get to on previous visits to the
\ncity, so I was quite pleased with the opportunity to go there this time around.<\/p>\n
\nreplacing the original structure, which was destroyed in World War II,
\nMalzm\u00fchle<\/b> was every bit the traditional German beer house on the inside.
\nWith high ceilings and plenty of wood panelling, we made for the two tables at
\nthe far end of the room. One of the thoughtful waiters came over and fixed a \u201cbridge\u201d<\/i><\/b>
\nin between the two, thereby joining them and enabling us to all sit together. \u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nK\u00f6lsch<\/b> was quite a bitter variant on the style. <\/span>Being
\nslightly away from the main tourist areas, <\/span>Brauerei zur <\/b><\/a>Malzm\u00fchle<\/b><\/a> <\/b>was very much a
\nlocal\u2019s pub, but we were nevertheless made very welcome. (I think the staff
\nwere glad of our presence during what seemed a slack period).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nvisit to Brauerei S\u00fcnner, <\/b>a traditional brewery on the other side of the
\nRiver Rhine<\/b>, and one where the K\u00f6lsch<\/b> style of beer is said to have
\noriginated. I\u2019m rather surprised to discover, that I didn\u2019t write anything about
\nthe brewery tour, at the time, but despite an extensive search cannot find
\nanything. I did take quite a few photos, though, so you will have to make do with
\nthose.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nevening meal, served in the small beer garden attached to the brewery. This
\narea open to local residents, as well as visitors to the brewery, as evidenced
\nby the photos, and if you look carefully, you will notice a small keg of K\u00f6lsch
\n<\/b>on one of the tables. A nice idea that saves on trips to the bar or trying to
\nattract the attention of the waiting staff. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nfirst business trips to Cologne<\/b>, was Pfaffen<\/span><\/u>.<\/b>
\nAt the time, this was the only outlet for the beer of the same name, and story
\nbehind this establishment dates back to a fall out between owner, Max P\u00e4ffgen,<\/b>
\nand other members of the P\u00e4ffgen <\/b>family. This led to Max<\/b> starting a brewery of
\nhis own. I wrote at the time that the Pfaffen K\u00f6lsch <\/b>served at Max\u2019s<\/b> pub, was
\nprobably the best version of the style I tasted during my stay in Cologne.<\/b> It
\nwas so good that I stayed for several more glasses. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\na long, narrow building featuring some attractive carved, light-coloured woodwork
\nand also some interesting contemporary stained glass. Regrettably, I haven\u2019t
\nbeen back since, but with beer that good I brought my colleagues there on our last
\nnight in the city, and they were well impressed. The beer was served direct
\nfrom wooden casks, and such was the demand for this excellent K\u00f6<\/span>lsch<\/b> that we
\nwitnessed the cask being changed twice in less than an hour and saw the row of
\nempties stacked up in the corridor.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nIt must have been prior to my penultimate visit to Cologne,<\/b> which was in
\n2019. <\/b>This was at a time when I believed I had drunk
\nvirtually every K\u00f6lsch<\/b> available in the city<\/a>, so stumbling upon Schreckenskammer<\/b>
\ncame as something of a surprise. I bought a 500ml bottle<\/b> during that 2019
\ntrip <\/b>but was determined to track down the Schreckenskammer<\/u><\/b>
\n<\/a>pub on my next visit to Cologne<\/b>, little thinking that, thanks to Covid,<\/b>
\nthe trip wouldn\u2019t be for another four years!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nrail station, or Hauptbahnhof,<\/b> the pub <\/b>was quite easy to find,
\nparticularly with the assistance of Google Maps,<\/b> on my Smart Phone. <\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\ndistinctive looking church tower of St Ursula<\/b>, acted as my guide as I drew near to the pub. With
\nthe original Schreckenskammer <\/b><\/a>beer house destroyed
\nby Allied bombing<\/b>, in 1943, <\/b>today\u2019s <\/b>pub is a modern building,
\nwhich dates from the 1960\u2019s.<\/b> It is still quite an attractive looking building,
\nwhich overlooks a paved area at the entrance to the church. Pleased with myself
\nfor having found the place, I gingerly pushed the door open and stepped inside.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nserving counter, complete with some casks of beer, in full view of the
\ncustomers. There was a handful of customers present, plus a member of staff
\nbehind the counter. It looked very much like a \u201cprivate
\nbar,\u201d<\/a><\/i><\/b> so I headed,
\ninstead, for the larger, and more spacious room to the right. It was laid out
\nwith plenty of tables and chairs, but very little in the way of empty places,
\nas most seemed occupied with diners.\u00a0 <\/span>I
\nsat myself down at the end of one such table, with my back to the window. I do
\nthis in most pubs, as I like to see what\u2019s going on, rather than sit with my
\nback to the action.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe word, \u201cK\u00f6lsch,\u201d<\/i><\/b> and almost without waiting for an answer,
\nplaced a full glass on the table in front of me, whilst at the same time
\nmarking a fresh beer mat, with a tick. The beer was served in a badged glass \u2013
\nas per the photo and was rather good, with<\/span><\/span> a deep golden colour
\nand plenty of body. The pub itself was buzzing, with a lively mix of customers,
\nspanning several different age groups. I got the impression that most of them
\nwere local, drawn from the nearby flats. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nCologne<\/b> pub to tick off my list, and that outlet was the legendary Gastst\u00e4tte
\nLommerzheim<\/b>,<\/a><\/u> which I visited on my final evening in Cologne.<\/b> Known locally
\nas Lommi\u2019s, <\/b>this establishment is a \u201cmust visit\u201d <\/i>Cologne institution<\/b>,
\nand one of those pubs you feel privileged to have experienced. Recommended by a
\nwide assortment of different beer writers, including Matt <\/b>from Stockport, Retired
\nMartin, <\/b>and Rob Sterowski,<\/b> <\/a><\/u>but still far enough off the beaten track to have
\nescaped the notice of the more usual suspects, Lommerzheim <\/b>is in a class
\nof its own. <\/p>\n
\ncommunity local, catering to a wide age groups and a diverse range of
\ncustomers. As well as serving one of the best glasses of K<\/b>\u00f6<\/span>lsch <\/b>in Cologne – P<\/b>\u00e4<\/span>ffgen<\/b>, naturally, dispensed
\nfrom a wooden cask behind the bar counter, the food looks really inviting as
\nwell, that\u2019s if you can find space at table where you can sit down and get
\nstuck in. On my visit, shortly after 6pm<\/b> on a Thursday<\/b> evening, the place was packed
\nwith people were enjoying themselves, either in small groups or conversing with
\nfriends and neighbours.<\/p>\n