Beer Travel Vignettes: Päffgen, Cologne’s Neighbourhood Kölsch Pub
When Päffgen opened its doors in 1883, it was just one of over a hundred small breweries in Cologne. Wars and consolidation exacted their toll on the other small breweries, but Päffgen soldiered on. Today, it one of the last small Hausbrauereien (“inhouse breweries”) of a bygone era.
A Local Haunt
Unlike its larger cousins Gaffel or Reissdorf, Päffgen doesn’t bottle its beers. But Cologne’s smallest Kölsch brewery doesn’t have to: Those in the know flock to this local institution for round after round of beers brewed in the small brewhouse behind the tavern. If you visit only one Kölsch Kneipe in Cologne, make it this spot popular not only for its Kölsch, but also for its atmosphere.
Päffgen is in the Friesenviertel, a district home to modern apartments, older buildings, cafes, leafy squares, delis, and wine shops. With this eclectic mix of urban chic, it’s a bit jarring to find Päffgen right next to a Subway. But there it is. The contrast between this traditional hideaway and a chain selling doughy subs couldn’t be more stark. But you didn’t come here for a sub.
Subtle Charms
Step into Päffgen and you’ll find all the signature features that make these traditional Rhenish taverns what they are, but with a more time-worn feel. What sets Päffgen apart is its Beichstuhl (“confessional”) counter and the airy passage from the street to the small brewhouse in the back.
Surrounded by glass on three sides, the Beichstuhl once served as a kind of “head office” for the innkeeper to take reservations and settle bills while keep an eye on the proceedings in the pub.
Even more unique is the ceramic-tiled hall leading from the Schwemme into an aula with communal seating, and then on into a charming courtyard in the shadow of the brewhouse. Horse-drawn wagons plied their routes through the city right up until 1955, and this passage was for the beer wagons that brought the beer from the brewhouse to a thirsty public beyond. Those four tables set to one side of the corridor? They could be folded up and fixed in place to make way for malt and hop deliveries coming in, or beer deliveries going out.
Top-Tier Kölsch
It was late morning in the before times and the pub was slowly filling up for lunch. In between glasses of Kölsch, the friendly Köbes* brought me to the brewhouse, where I spoke with one of the old-timer brewers. I asked him what goes into Päffgen’s Kölsch. “Just barley malt, Hallertauer hops, top-fermenting yeast — and time.”
Päffgen’s beauty is its simplicity, and the Kölsch pulled straight from a wooden cask atop the counter is as good as it gets. It’s a steely beer with floral-fruity aromas, freshly harvested hay, lightly honeyed grain, and a bergamot flourish reminiscent of Earl Grey. A beguiling medley of spice and peach persists through the crisp finish.
Sure, you can find Päffgen’s Kölsch in pubs closer to the cathedral and the station. The Bierhaus am Rhein is a good bet, as is the lively Bierhaus en d’r Salzgass. But nothing beats drinking Päffgen’s Kölsch right here.
Odds and Ends
*By turns witty, gruff, and avuncular, the Köbes (typically male) reigns supreme and is the stuff of local lore. You’ll spot him gliding through the pub carrying a forest of cylindrical glasses known as Stange. The word “Köbes” is a local variation of Jakob, which also happens to be the German name of the Way of St. James pilgrimage route, Jakobsweg. Those who worked in the inns and breweries along the way earned themselves the nickname “Köbes.”
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All images by Franz D. Hofer
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