Hi all, I'll be visiting my friend in Berlin in late September. I don't think getting all the way to Munich for Oktoberfest is in the cards, so I'd like to do some beer-related activities while in Berlin. Any must-visit breweries, etc. in or around Berlin? I'm definitely open to taking some day-trips. Thanks!
Berlin is great, and you'll have a great time! It is not really a beer destination, however. There are a handful of brewpubs, only one of which I've been to and wouldn't categorize as a "must visit" (Prater, in Prenzlauer Berg, although in their defense they did have Weihenstephaner Hefe Dunkel). There are one or two threads in this forum about Berlin that have a lot of good recommendations. If you haven't already, give them a look through. My broken-record recommendation is Weihenstephaner's restaurant in the Hackesher Markt. They have the complete lineup as far as I'm aware, including Korbinian and Vitus in bottles. It is in a big tourist area and their prices are high relative to the rest of Berlin. Depending on what you consider to be a "day trip", Düsseldorf, Köln, and Bamberg are all around 4.5 hours from Berlin without train changes. I think you could find one night's accommodations in any of these cities fairly cheap if you wanted to break up the travel. None of these cities are as interesting, tourist-wise, as Berlin, but they are all pretty classic German beer cities. Edit for typo
I had a great time in Berlin when I was there several years ago, but I didn't do too much that was explicitly beer-related. The one recommendation I have, though, is to have a meal at white trash fast food ( http://www.whitetrashfastfood.com/ ). Not sure if they have a great beer selection or anything, but it's a pretty cool place.
Rogacki deli was a cool experience. Not touristy at all, it has cheeses, cured and fresh meats, bread, poultry, sausage, beer and wine, cured and smoked fish, and dips and salads. You shop and eat (standing up) next to Berliners and get what I thought was an authentic working class experience. Clärchen Ballhaus (turn of the century dance hall) was also a nice experience. Gave you a feel for what Weimar Berlin must have been like. Pizza wasn't bad either.
Thanks for the recs guys. I've been to Köln before, which I loved, but my friend (a fellow beer geek) who I'll be traveling with is only going to be in Berlin for a week (I'll be there for longer), so destinations that are closer to the city are ideal. Of course, we'll be visiting a friend who will be working there, so he might have some nice places to bring us.
How about a trip to Leipzig - it's not so far from Berlin? The beer style to try there is gose: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gose It's an unusual, geeky beer that's local to the city and probably worth seeking out for the experience. Leipzig is close to Berlin and it might be possible to do a day trip there. Disclaimer: I haven't been to Leipzig or tried gose (yet). One day....
I've been to Leipzig a few times This is a nice venue, brewpub that does a Gose and decent food as well http://www.bayerischer-bahnhof.de/de/startseite/index.html It's in an old 19th century railway station, about 20/5 minutes walk from the Hbf or 5 to 10 on a tram that drops you a few blocks away Berlin to Leipzig is around 1hr 15 on an IC train or 2hrs 45 on a regional (changing once) if you are travelling on the cheap (Lander ticket - 2 required from memory) Also around Berlin (see other threads) take a trip to Potsdam (20-30 minutes on any regional train) A few interesting brew pubs round here including an old hunting lodge on the shore of the templiner see beer was good - food excellent http://www.braumanufaktur.de/ They also brew a 'Stange' beer which is a style you don't come across too often
I had the Bayerische Bahnhof inLeipzig's Gose at the Festival der Bierkulturen in Köln (Cologne) in May. It's basically reminded me either of a Saison or a somewhat sour Belgian. Not bad but it didn't fit all the other beers I was trying at the moment and didn't hit the spot. Maybe if I had started with Gose, it would've fit better. Wasn't a WOW beer and was a tad thin in mouthfeel, but I was a tad tipsy, so my memory is perhaps suspect; nonetheless, my friends with me were also not terribly impressed. However, I like the fact that they're trying to revive an old, extinct style.
Bayerischer Bahnhof is a nice pub and most of their beers are very good. But, the Gose isn't that authentic, basically not sour enough. Dollnitzer Ritterguts Gose is much better. For authentic Gose I'd recommend: Gosenschenke 'Ohne Bedenken' Menckestr. 5 04155 Leipzig Tel. 0341 566 2360 Fax: 0341 5662310 E-Mail: [email protected] Homepage: http://www.gosenschenke.de/ It's a bit outside the city centre, but well worth visiting. It's where the Gose revival started in the 1980's.
That's the one I've been trying to remember all this time. A friend of mine who lives in Leipzig took me there in the mid-1990s. I really liked the feel of the place...and the Gose. Highly recommend.
Berlin has 16 brewpubs and Prater isn't one of them - their house beers are alleged to be brewed in Frankfurt/Oder. I'd recommend Brewbaker, Hops & Barley and Prassnik as the best three for beer, although I've heard it said the latter doesn't brew.
Sorry that before you departed I did not get to post a few of the brew establishments in Berlin that I have visited... Brewbaker (Hansaviertel near, Mitte), Lemke (Mitte), Eschenbrau (Wedding), Hops&Barley and Schalander (Friedrichshain), to name a few - and just good vibe places like Aufsturz & Yorkschloesschen (brunch, jazz). But I'm sure that you're sure to have a great time - Berlin is just that way. And the Leipzig side-trip is also well advised for Gose - both B. Bahnhof ("new" Gose, nice restaurant & atmosphere) & especially the Ohne Bedenken experience. Hopefully we'll hear a report back!
I don't know if they're still good or not but when my wife ran the Berlin Marathon in 2007 we went on a brewpub trip 2 days later (to numb her agony after 42 km...) and the place I still fondly remember is http://www.brauhaus-coepenick.de/ It's right in the center of a square on a small glass pavillion and their dark was a very yummy breakfast substitute Hauseigene Biere Frisches Schlossplatz-Bier, hell oder dunkel Kirsch-Chili-Bier Babylonisches Bier und immer wechselnde Biere je nach Saison, wie zum Beispiel: Frühjahrs-/ Herbstbock Rauchbier Märzen Dinkelbier Buchweizen Sake (Reisbier) Porter
We also visited http://www.georgbraeu.de/ (Tourist trap with so-so beer), http://www.brauhaus-spandau.de/ (very nice location and the "Spezialbier" was quite drinkable), http://www.brauhaus-mitte.de/index.php/de/ (was ok but not very remarkable at all...), http://www.brauhaus-rixdorf.de/home/ (was pretty drinkable), http://deutschesrestaurantberlinmitte.u-city.org/ (= Marcus Bräu. I think it was them anyways, my memories were far from clear or coherent even the day after, much less across the chasm of yet another 5 years...) and I think 2 more who I cannot find pages for so they probably do not exist anymore. Now I'm thirsty and I'm still stuck in my office for 4 hours. Dammitdammitdammit....
