Tag Archives: craft beer

The Scene loves Craft Beer

The shortcut to a German’s heart is made of hop, malt, yeast and water. Yep, we love our beer! It’s delicious, nutritious and makes everyone around you look so much better. While Germany’s industrial-made beer is still considered holy by most, Berlin’s creative heads have started taking things into their own hands. Literally. Self-brewed craft beer is taking the city by storm. New breweries, bars and pubs open up by the day. If you’re a man (or woman) of culture, do not hesitate to try these amazing treats of German taste-engineering. Berlin is a big city – so where to start? Here’s a list of must-visits for your next sophisticated pub crawl. Prost!

BRLO
Before you ask – it’s pronounced BARE-LOW. Yep, we did ask. Located in a spacious container structure in Gleisdreieckpark, BRLO is a slightly hipsterish brewhouse and aspiring beer brand alike. With their laid-back park view and delicious brews, the trendy hotspot is the perfect location for cozy summer beers. Since beer gardens and cold temperatures don’t go together very well, they also boast a cozy indoor area with a fabulous food concept: shared vegetarian dishes with meat as sides.

Stone Brewing
Hold on tight and try not to drool – at Stone Brewing you choose between 65 beers off the tap! Their selection is big, the location is bigger. 2400sqm, up to 1200 guests and a 100-hectolitre brewing machine. Think big. Can you guess where CEO and co-founder Greg Koch might be from? Of course. USA! It seems he knows a thing or two about gastronomy – for the food concept, he hired Robert Hilges, who has worked for Ritz-Carlton and Adlon. Now he’s turning Stone Brewing into a delicious „world bistro“ in the heart of Mariendorf.

Kaschk
Ever heard of shuffleboard? It’s an American board game where players use a cue to push discs down a narrow court, which comes to rest in a score area with different points. Now imagine a top-notch craft beer pub around that board and voila – you have a recipe for fun evenings with your friends. Kaschk is Germany’s first bar to offer shuffleboard, along with a prime selection of Norwegian craft beer and fresh coffee from a filter holder.

Brewdog Mitte
Brewdog is a Scottish brewhouse chain. While we didn’t spot anyone wearing kilts (awww), they offer a selection of 30 draft lines of beer from German and global breweries. Brewdog Berlin’s boss Dean Pugh successfully ran the dependencies in London and Manchester, where they attract a young-professional crowd aged 25-40. Much like in Berlin. The main difference: Londoners start drinking at 6pm, Berliners at 11pm. Why? You don’t go to Berghain before 4 in the morning, and drinking beer for 10 hours is a challenge even for us.

The Castle Berlin
The Castle isn’t your usual hipster craft beer address. They reserve 6 taps for pubs’ classics: Kilkenny, Guiness, Cider and Pils. That’s because owners Ben Fisher and Gekko (yeah, Gekko) were born in Berlin – they know what people like. They also know you have to go with the flow – in this case, that means letting home-brewed craft beer flow into thirsty customers’ glasses. In their Mitte pub, they fit up to 200 people on a sunny terrace. Don’t worry if you stay too long – their morning coffee is just as good as the beer.

Braufactum
16 taps, 300 seats, indoor and outdoor area, located right on Alexanderplatz. What could go wrong? At Braufactu, everything is set for success. They boast expert German brewmasters working with international partner breweries. You can taste their love for brewing – but you can also learn from it: there are beer tastings, workshops and an inhouse Braufactu store to quench your thirst for knowledge (and beer).

Keen for a beer or two? You can learn even more abut Berlin’s craft beer bars here. If you really want to get under the skin of Berlin’s craft beer scene, don’t hesitate to sign up for our private Craft Beer Tours. We’ll show you the trendiest bars and bottles the city’s beer geeks are obsessed with.
Price: from 450 euro / 3 hour tour
Inclusions: Visits to 3 beer bars, private brewery tour, beer tasting, city tour (between stops), public transportation, private guide and lots of insider tips about Berlin’s craft beer scene.

Send request to info@berlinagenten.com

 

The Scene – 10 New Hotspots in Berlin

Spring descends upon Germany’s capital of cool. Berlin’s hipsters, foodies, lovers, bar hoppers, clubbers and lunatics curiously stick their heads out of the holes they have been hiding in during the freezing winter. Time to discover what’s new and trendy in Berlin city! We’ve compiled a list with the best new hotspots, from bars and clubs to restaurants and breweries.

Cafés

Mario Kaiser Patisserie
When Mario Kaiser left Berlin to work in kitchens around the world 8 years ago, Berlin’s trendy food scene was still a long way coming. With Mario having refined his skills in Paris, London, Zurich and the USA, he now offers delicious pastries in his brand new Prenzlauer Berg patisserie. Berlin is finally ready for upscale confectioners and Mario is planning to expand his menu soon. Just like trendsetting Coda Dessert Bar in Neukölln, he’s planning to add alcoholic beverages to pair with the delicacies soon – a promising concept.

The Visit Roastery
A bar-raising new addition to Berlin’s flourishing specialty coffee scene. Located in a Kreuzberg backyard near Kottbusser Tor, the coffee bar creates a strong contrast to its somewhat shabby surroundings. The stylishly decorated space inside is both welcoming and inviting, its openness allowing you to relax at either a regular table or in the MacBook-loaded sitting corner. The place feels very clean  – and a little sterile. As soon as you take the first sip on your specialty coffee, that’s easily forgotten.

Restaurants

Mine Restaurant
Mine’s Owner Aram Mnatsakanov is often considered the Russian Jamie Oliver. His Italian restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg rank among the best in their category and he’s been a prominent host for TV shows like “Hell’s Kitchen Russia” and “Hell’s Kitchen Ukraine”. With his intriguing modern interpretation of classic Italian cuisine and a premium selection of ingredients from all over Europe, you’ll find Mine’s dishes to taste familiar and yet refreshingly different.

Izakaya at Sra Bua
Renowned fine-dining restaurant Sra Bua by Tim Raue located on Hotel Adlon’s ground floor is surprising gourmets with a new concept this year! While the main room is still dedicated to classic menu service, the Izakaya section pays hommage to Japan’s dining culture, essentially creating two restaurants under one roof. The concept is to sit back, enjoy drinks (sake anyone?) and socialise as light dishes are shared family style. The delicacies range from spring rolls with green applesauce to delicious beef tartar “japan style”.

Bars

Mampe’s neue Heimat
Strictly speaking, Mampe isn’t a bar. It’s Berlin oldest existing liquor brand, on its way back to world domination. Their new location “Mampe’s neue Heimat” is an all-in-one museum, exclusive liquor store and event location housing its own distillery. With distilling workshops, liquor tastings and a strict Berlin-only delivery policy, Mampe is setting sail to once again become Berlin’s most prestigious and exclusive liquor brand.

Wine Bar
Mine restaurant’s bar is located in the neighbouring building and one word sums up the space perfectly: small. In fact, it’s better known as Berlin’s smallest bar and invites guests to sip on tasty aperetifs before dinner or tol roll over for a nightcap after a long meal. Don’t forget to check out the space at the back as you’ll find some hidden corners ideal for mingling.

Clubs

Beate Uwe
A small and intimate club hidden right under the noses of most tourists. Despite its close proximity to Alexanderplatz it remains a refuge for a very leaned back crowd. It’s the perfect start into a wild night out, but it’s just as perfect if you’re looking for an electronic club night without stomping on people’s feet. Probably the only club in Berlin where you can dance barefoot.

Haubentaucher
When Haubentaucher opened its doors two summers ago, it immediately drew a huge mixed crowd of sun-hungry Berliners, hipsters and tourists. Within weeks, it became the “in” location of the summer 2015, and 2016 was no less busy! What most people don’t know – they boast a small but high quality club with great lineups and even better party. Check it out!

Breweries

BRLO
The slavic word “BRLO” is the origin of “Berlin”. While they have strong roots to our beloved capital, BRLO is a creative brewery also inspired by international influences. With their German IPA, Pale Ale, Weisse, Helles and Porter they offer a solid selection of high quality beers. Brewmaster Michael Lembke secrets range from ecological malt to brewing water energized with gemstones. Added value: a fabulous food concept with shared vegetarian dishes (meat comes as sides) and a huge terrace for sunny days. They stick to the motto “Save the planet, it’s the only one with beer“.

BrewDog
Us Germans, we love beer. We absolutely worship it. Hence we’re thrilled to welcome Scottish brewery BrewDog to Berlin, where they opened their first craft beer bar in Germany. With its typical Berlin industrial charm, brick walls, vintage lamps and pinball machines, it’s the perfect location for thirsty beer lovers.