Bierkombinat Kreuzberg

 

BKK has recently gone through a bit of a remodel, and the changes have been positive, really opening up the place a bit. That said, you come (well, I come) to BKK for the beer, the atmosphere is definitely a bit of a mixed bag. The best part of it is the abundance of comfy couches to sit on. The furniture is mostly crap but that adds to its charm.

The big downside is the place absolutely reeks of smoke to the point that you are going to have to wash your jacket (last time I went I left my jacket outside to avoid this). I know this is Berlin and is pretty much a given, but this place can be the worst. The other clientele can be cool, it's a friendly place and I've had a few interesting conversations with other patrons while there.

The staff is also a bit of a mixed bag. They're mostly very nice, but they know absolutely nothing about the beer they sell, and honestly I've gotten a vibe from a few of them that they think it strange if you come in there looking for an XPA and are disappointed that they don't have any. That's another downside to the place - they frequently run out of their best beers (at least in my experience).

On to the beer - I was absolutely thrilled to find this place because it was the first time I had found a hoppy beer on tap in Germany, and I've lived in a lot of places in Germany. The XPA is a pretty good beer, and the other Schoppe Bräu beers that are on tap are quite good too, and a little more approachable for non-beer geeks. If I recall there's a Kristall Weisse from Schoppe Bräu as well.

Some of Schoppe Bräu's bottles make it in here as well, most frequently (that I've seen) the Holy Shit Double IPA, which is worth checking out. I'd love to try more of Schoppe Bräu's brews but have not been able to find more here or elsewhere. There's a cooler with some other beers but with a crowd in there it can be impossible to see what the bottles are, and if you ask the staff they say, "beer". Yay, thanks.

There's no food but a guy will come through with a basket of stuff during the course of the evening. There's some great food in the area too, Mexican and Korean fried chicken.