Brewery in Berlin ✏️ Party-Germany

Recently, old brewery sites have been receiving a lot of attention. The former Bötzow brewery in trendy Prenzlauer Berg and the old Kindl brewery in Neukölln have both been revitalized. There are other dormant former breweries across the city just waiting to be rediscovered: in Prenzlauer Berg alone, there were once fifteen breweries.

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From Brewery to Trendy Venue
Creative development of abandoned industrial buildings
Cultural and dining establishments in Berlin are repeatedly turning to converted industrial buildings when seeking unusual and spectacular locations. Former industrial wastelands are being reborn as trendy venues and are becoming the addresses of choice for food lovers, designers, night owls and fans of culture.

A look back: Berlin, the beer capital
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Berlin had 250 breweries, making it Europe's largest supplier of beer. Large breweries such as the Engelhardt, Berliner Bürgerbräu, Berliner Pilsner, Schultheiss and Berliner Kindl with several locations and numerous small breweries serviced a lively beer culture and growing brewery industry through the 1920s. A particular speciality of Berlin's breweries at the time was Berliner Weisse, first mentioned in the seventeenth century and still served as the archetypal Berlin beer in beer gardens and restaurants, preferably as "Weisse mit Schuss", with a shot of sweet fruit syrup.

Inflation and other consequences of the First World War wiped out all but 15 per cent of the breweries. Many of the underground vaults were converted to air-raid shelters during the next war. Sixteen brewers remain from the time when Berlin was the beer capital of Europe; many of what were once huge brewery sites have now been listed for historical preservation. They stand as brownfield sites across the city, offering potential for a variety of reuses and are therefore attracting interest from artists and creative industries, party and event organisers and restaurateurs. The vaulted cellars, dispensing halls, boiler and brew houses, as well as the large courtyards are ideal for multi-functional uses that bring together art, creativity and great food and drink. Some of them have been converted in recent years into luxury apartments and lofts, others now house restaurants, cafés and offices. The Löwenbrauerei in Alt-Hohenschönhausen has even been turned into a retirement home.

Haute cuisine instead of the yeasty smell of hops
The latest example for a creative reuse of a brewery as a place for culture and cuisine is the Bötzow-Brauerei. Michelin-starred chef Tim Raue opened his restaurant La Soupe Populaire here in 2013. As part of a newly established space for artists' studios with changing exhibitions, Tim Raue's latest venture combines art and cuisine: sleek furnishings and minimalist table settings draw his guests' attention to the art on display both on the walls and on the plates presented before them. In the former engine building, Gregor Scholl serves his extravagant cocktail creations in the Bar Le Croco Bleu. The bar's trademark is, as the name suggests, a blue crocodile embedded in the acrylic glass of the bar tables. The former foreman's cottage at the entrance adds another special touch to the bar as do the former refrigeration units in the interior. Those who cannot decide can sample the different cocktails before making themselves comfortable with their favourite in the lounge area near the fireplace, at one of the bar tables or at the bar.
But the studio house, restaurant and bar are just the beginning: by 2020, the entire area around the listed former brewery will become a lively location with cultural and leisure facilities, shops, offices and lofts under the name Bötzow Berlin. Star architect David Chipperfield drafted the master plan for this urban revitalization project. Professor Hans Georg Näder, owner of medical technology company Otto Bock, acquired the site in 2010 and plans to move his wheelchair factory and his company's design studio to the site in the future. During the long rebuilding phase, artists and cultural workers have temporary use of the site as studios.
www. boetzowberlin. de; www. lasoupepopulaire. de; www. lecrocobleu. com

Former breweries as arts centres
Temporary arts projects and studios have also taken up residence on the site of the former Willner-Brauerei in Berlin-Pankow since May 2013. After nearly 20 years of deep sleep, the listed industrial site is seeing new life. The 4,000 m2 site offers visitors a mix of art, events and catering. A group of artists have leased the premises for the next ten years. They are not unlike nomads taking their exhibitions and art projects with them throughout the large site, taking advantage of spaces not currently being renovated. Craftspeople and designers have set up their studios and offices, regular guided tours of the historic brewery are offered, and even beer is being served once again in the courtyard beer garden which opened in 2013. This was followed by a pizzeria in the old customs house and the legendary Klub der Republik has found a new home in the former transformer building. In December, a special Christmas market sets up in front of the brewery and reflects the spirit of optimism emanating from newly restored buildings, the energy of a building site and general creativity.

Events, art and creative work – those are the plans of the new owners of the former Kindl brewery in Neukölln. Zurich collector couple Burkhard Varnholt and Salome Grisard are establishing the KINDL Zentrum für zeitgenössische Kunst on the site of the former brewery. From autumn 2014, works by contemporary international artists will be on display in the former boiler house and engine house. A literary café is planned for the former brewhouse. Gay club Schwuz has already moved here from Mehringdamm in Kreuzberg. It shares an entrance with Palast Neukölln, which moved into the tiled bottling hall in February 2014 as the successor of the Cube Club. Run by Conny Opper, well known on the Berlin nightlife scene for clubs like Rio, Skala and the legendary King Size Bar, the 1,000 m2 Palast Neukölln will be home to parties, theatre performances, concerts and exhibitions.

The Malzfabrik in Tempelhof has already had success as a symbiosis of creative location, place for culture and fun. This is where the district shows its trendy side: the brick buildings from the end of the nineteenth century represent a successful concept of sustainable redevelopment and pioneering reuse of former industrial buildings. A network of artists and creative types work under the roof of the Malzfabrik, which offers studio spaces, offices, conference rooms, concert halls and exhibition areas to interested tenants on a short- or long term basis.
The Kulturbrauerei has also earned a permanent place in Berlin's cultural landscape. Since 2000, the former brewery in Prenzlauer Berg has been a venue for cultural events and is home to several clubs, pubs, a theatre, shops and a dance school. Highlights include the Festival Klassik Open Air in the summer as well as the Lucia Christmas market each December.
www. wbb-pankow. de; www. kindl-berlin. de; www.palastneukoelln.de; www. malzfabrik. de; www. kulturbrauerei. de

Shops, lofts and start-up campus
A few years after Schultheiss moved its main brewery from Kreuzberg to Weißensee in eastern Berlin, the site has been rehabilitated and repurposed: Lofts and townhouses have been integrated into the historic building stock, now renamed Viktoria Quartier. A rehabilitation of the 23,000 m2 site in Moabit is also planned: between Turmstraße and Stromstraße and Lübecker and Perleberger Straße, the Schultheiss Quartier will be a centre for services and free time activities.

In the same way, Forum Friedrichshain is already a showcase for contemporary reuse of old industrial areas: The Böhmische Brauhaus in Friedrichshain is a real gem among Berlin's old industrial architecture. The historic brick buildings of the old malt house now house luxury apartments, offices and catering facilities.

In southern Prenzlauer Berg, individual lofts now fill the former Schneider Brauerei, tucked away between Greifswalder Straße and Am Friedrichshain.

A little further west on the former site of the Oswald Brauerei (Rheinberger Straße at Brunnenstraße) is a new campus for Berlin's vibrant start-up scene. The Factory combines established internet companies and newcomers under one roof. The start-up factory offers about a thousand people working in the fields of the future the chance to exchange ideas across disciplines and the chance for young entrepreneurs to clear the first hurdles towards success. Major players such as Mozilla, SoundCloud, Four Sektor, Toast, Urge iO, Views and Silicon-Allee are making use of the spaces here, with affordable rents, excellent IT infrastructure and opportunities for dialogue with neighbours in the same sector. Next door at Brunnenstraße 43 is the home of Verein Berliner Unterwelten. They've been diligently working at unearthing several underground escape tunnels from the days of the GRD in the vaulted cellars of the historic brewery. These can be seen by booking "Tour M: Under the Berlin Wall".
www. brauhofgarten. de ; www. factoryberlin. com; http://berliner-unterwelten. de/

Micro-breweries and craft beers
The place where once some of Berlin's largest breweries stood is now home to micro-breweries. These small private breweries do not produce for the mass market, but only for their own bar or selected restaurants and bars. Quality instead of quantity is their motto and more and more Berliners and visitors are jumping on board this trend. Taking up the craft-beer movement that started in the USA, these micro-breweries are rediscovering old brewery traditions and are making beers with special aromas, such as coffee, elderberry and coriander.

At the end of 2013, the Pfefferbräu Bergbrauerei & Schankhalle opened up at the Pfefferberg. After more than 90 years, beer is once again being made in this venerable location. Using local ingredients, brewmaster Thorsten Schoppe brews bottom-fermented beer in the tradition of founder Joseph Pfeffer. These are paired with seasonal dishes served in the restaurant or beer garden, depending on the weather.

A private brewery has also set up shop in the historic Kindl brewery vaults at the Rollberg in Neukölln, where Rollberger has been brewed and served since 2009. The brewery operators also sell to selected restaurants in Berlin and Brandenburg.

Even more recent is the Flessa micro-brewery. Tucked away in a traditional Berlin rear courtyard in a disused slaughterhouse, Flessa-Bräu has been brewing craft beer here since 2012. Christoph Flessa deliberately avoids pasteurising his beer and brews his local beer only from the purest yeasts. He brews and bottles just 2,000 litres per month. His clients include restaurants and bars, but more and more private buyers are picking up their beer here personally. They have to drink it at home, because for now there is no bar at Flessa-Bräu. But the proud brewmaster is glad to offer short individual tours with beer tastings and courses in brewing.

The Wanke-Bräu, on the other hand, is served in the brewery's own cosy restaurant, offering a mere 30 seats. The restaurant has nothing in common with your typical Berlin corner pub, however. The ambience is both friendly and stylish. For the past three years, Marcus Wanke has been serving his Wanke-Bräu with a side of what he likes to call Bavarian tapas. Brewed in a home brewery in the Spreewald, it passes straight from the large barrels to the taproom. Depending on the season, there may be fruity wheat beers (Weizen), strong Doppelbock or full-bodied bitter Pilsner. If you want to get to know the different varieties, you can participate in a beer tasting. Bavarian tapas are served to match each type of beer.
www.pfefferbraeu.de; www.rollberger.de; www.brauerei-flessa.de; www.leibhaftig.com
Brief Brewery Guide
[*] Beer4Wedding
Eulerstr. 21, Mitte, www.beer4wedding.de
[*] Bogk-Bier
Kreuzbergstr. 74, Kreuzberg, www.bogk-bier.de
[*] Brauhaus Spandau
Neuendorfer Str. 1, Spandau, www.brauhaus-spandau.de
[*] Brewbaker
Arminiusstr. 2-4, Moabit, U Turmstraße, www. brewbaker. de
[*] Eschenbräu
Triftstr. 67, Wedding, www. eschenbraeu. de
[*] Flessa Bräu
Petersburger Str. 39, Friedrichshain, www.brauerei-flessa.de
[*] Heidenpeters
Eisenbahnstr. 42-43, Kreuzberg, www.heidenpeters.de
[*] Hops & Barley
Wühlischstr. 22-23, Friedrichshain, www.hopsandbarley-berlin.de
[*] Pfefferbräu
Schönhauser Allee 176, www.pfefferbraeu.de
[*] Privatbrauerei Rollberg
Am Sudhaus 3, Neukölln, www.rollberger.de
[*] Schalander
Bänschstr. 91, Friedrichshain, www.schalander-berlin.de
[*] Schoppe Bräu
Hasenheide 69, Kreuzberg, www.schoppebraeu.de
[*] Vagabund Brauerei
Antwerpener Str. 3, Wedding, www.vagabundbrauerei.com
More information can be found at visitBerlin.com.

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Last Update: 17/02/2018 - 00:20