Prost to the much-awaited craft beer revolution in Germany!

The Craft Beer Revolution kicked off later than one might have expected in the fatherland of beers. This is understandable though; one does not go messing around willy-nilly with a country’s national beverage, whose purity has been legally defined by its people, over 500 years ago. Certainly not to satisfy the whims of hipsters. One can taste the stubbornness of tradition in the lagers and weizens brewed by these bearded old brew-masters who look like they personally tapped the barrel back when Julius Caesar stopped by for a pint. Now though, a silent revolution is fermenting in hidden little pockets of Deutschland, which aspires to bring down that psychological wall which has kept out those sacrilegious experimentation that neighbors like Belgium embraced generations ago. We have been seeking out such places and here are some of those craft beer haunts in Germany we think are worth a visit.

Craft Beer Corner, Cologne

If you are a craft beer enthusiast looking for good craft beers in Germany, we assure you, you will feel like you’ve finally come home at Craft Beer Corner Coeln. And, if you’re an IPA lover, you’ve hit the jackpot as these guys have a horde of great IPAs! Craft Beer Corner is one of the best places for craft beer in Germany. They not only have an amazing collection of craft beers on tap but also a great collection of bottled beers. What’s even more cool is that you not only get to drink craft beers from Germany but also craft beers from all over the world! You can get pretty comfortable here never wanting to leave!

Our recommendations – We loved ALL of their beers but loved Crew Republic’s Drunken Sailor IPA and Pizza Port’s Today was a good day IPA best.

Brauerei Schlössle, Neu Ulm

The Schlössle (pronounced Schloessle) brewery in New Ulm, Bavaria (just across the Danube river from Ulm, Baden-Württemberg) is one of our cherished finds from our craft beer hunt in Germany. It was the first place we drank German craft beer and were quite pleased to finally see Germany warming up to the craft beer culture. Schlössle brews some pretty neat hoppy ales – the High Five Hop and Orange Summit are our favorites. Although not one of our favorite German IPAs, their Strong Jack IPA is quite unique with its rye and wheat malts and worth a try. Their Tripel and Chocolate Porter are pretty good beers as well. Schloessle is one of those traditional German brewhouses where the interiors have a certain old-world homely charm to it and where you can get your fill of lip-smacking local delicacies. It’s well worth a visit not only for the beer but also for a true Bavarian experience.

Our recommendations: High Five Hop and Orange Summit

Schwanen Brauerei, Ehingen

Schwanen brewery is in the little south German town of Ehingen, popularly known as the ‘beer culture’ city. Ehingen has 4 breweries including Schwanen and all of these brew the traditional style of German beers. Schwanen however has a great collection of ales and stouts from some popular German craft breweries like Camba, Braufactum and Riegele. Camba is possibly one of our most favorite craft breweries in Germany. They have a huge variety of craft beers and every one of their beers that we have tried have been absolutely kick-ass. They have quite a selection of IPAs, pale ales, and oak-aged beers.

Our recommendations: Camba’s Imperial IPA, Braufactum’s Palor (APA), and Riegele’s Simco3 (APA).

Café Henry, Ulm

Cafe Henry used to be a typical cafe until some time late 2016 when they started serving craft beers. During one of our regular visits to the cafe to grab a quick bite and a beer, we saw that they had a separate craft beer menu. The quick stopover turned into a long night of celebrating our discovery. It had not been the easiest living in a little German town as craft beer enthusiasts – craft beers here are a rarity and we usually are scouting the Internet to find the nearest city with some hoppy ales. So, you can imagine our insane excitement at finding this craft beer menu in the most unexpected of places. Aaanyways, if you happen to be in Ulm or at a Cafe Henry elsewhere in Germany, be sure to check out their craft beer menu. They have ales from popular German breweries like Camba and Insel Brauerei and also ales from some of America’s best craft breweries like Stone, Brew Dog, Sierra Nevada, and Brookyln.

Our recommendations: Stone IPA, Camba’s Imperial IPA, Brewdog Punk IPA, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Braustelle, Cologne

Braustelle is a microbrewery in Cologne with a fine collection of ales and stouts. There are craft beer bars like Craft Beer Corner Coeln but Braustelle is possibly the only craft brewery that we could find within the city limits. It seemed to be a popular local hangout. It’s a small place and gets filled up fairly quickly so it’s best to get here early or make a reservation. They also run regular brewery tours for beer enthusiasts so you’ll see the brewmaster hopping about. They brew some pretty unique stuff and of course they have a Kölsch (typical German Pils that has a name of its own in Cologne) on their menu. They call it Helios and it’s one of the good Kölschs in Cologne.

Our recommendations: Kraftstoff Pale Ale MP’s classic and Helios

Urban Monk, Ulm

Urban Monk is Ulm’s only craft brewery at the moment. They are fairly new and are still experimenting with their beer styles. Their collection includes a few ales and a porter. While we have tried them all and feel that their beers still need some work, we do find their ales promising. They have partnered with Barfüßer, a traditional German brewery located in both Ulm and Neu Ulm. Head over to Barfüßer if you’d like to try Urban Monk’s beers.

Our recommendations: Sunshine Ale

(Watch this space for more as we discover more of Germany’s craft beer haunts!)