Try Craftbeer & Streetfood in the Old Town of Düsseldorf

You are interested in beer making and want to refresh your beer knowledge? Then we say - welcome to our beer tour! Join us for a tour of the city's home breweries and then experience the diverse tastes of craft beer! If you're into Altbier and Pale Ale (in that order), the "Craftbeer & Streetfood" tour is for you!

All good things come in threes? Someone must not have thought about beer! Because exactly four ingredients (hops, malt, yeast and water) are enough to brew the Germans' most popular alcoholic beverage. And where does it taste particularly good? That's right, in Düsseldorf! There is no way around the Alt, which is still brewed in the middle of the city, in terms of taste. On the "Craftbeer & Streetfood" tour, you'll not only get a unique look behind the scenes of the home breweries, but also sample a variety of specialties: from Alt to Pale Ale to varieties that find their way to NRW from Scandinavia.

Uerige

Wine or beer? A question you don't have to ask yourself in Düsseldorf! Because in pretty much every brewery and every bar, both are on the menu. One of the best-known of the five home breweries in the city even began serving red and white beer. In 1862, brewmaster Wilhelm Cürten took over the "Heidelberger Fass," but quickly turned to hops and malt. And the people of Düsseldorf soon flocked to him in droves. The name of the house has changed due to the behavior of Braumeister Cürten, the exact details of which can be found on the tour. But the crowd has remained the same. Even during the week, there's nothing to be said against enjoying a well-chilled Alts, which you can try for yourself at the start of the "Craftbeer & Streetfood" tour, weather permitting, in proper style outside at one of the many beer tables.

From the "Uerige" you continue towards the Rhine, which is only a two-minute walk away - and opens up a view of another gastronomic world of Düsseldorf. At the Kasematten, many restaurants and bars are waiting to provide you with the perfect combination for a successful evening: Beer plus an incomparable view of Father Rhine.

Brewery to the key 

Why is Altbier actually called Altbier? That's exactly what you'll find out at the legendary Hausbrauerei zum Schlüssel. For more than 170 years, the traditional brewery has been delighting Düsseldorfers and guests from all over the world alike. Is it a matter of course for you to enjoy a beer in a cozy pub atmosphere and at the same time to pursue the question of which taste buds the specialty tickles in you? Do you find the finish of the Alt rather fruity? Or bitter, because of that hint of coffee that some people think they hear? Discuss with the other tour participants and then learn many exciting facts and details about the ten-stage fermentation process of Altbier in the Schlüssel brewhouse. You'll also find out what top-fermenting yeast and Rhinelanders have in common, how many thousands of liters of beer are produced on site in just one day, and which ingredient the brewers have to dig deepest into their pockets for.

Ham Ham/Short Street

Fat or lean? With coleslaw or without? Fat and with coleslaw, lean and without? Questions upon questions that your guide will ask you before you turn into Kurze Straße. Here, at "Ham Ham at Josef's", you'll get to taste the classic of the famous Old Town street food cuisine: namely, a - pork roll! Since 1961, Josef Miletic has been serving the special spit-roast snack, to which absolutely no one except vegetarians say "no". In the meantime, his son, former professional footballer Marinko Miletic, has taken over the preparation. A thick slice of the deliciously grilled meat, embedded in a crispy baked roll and refined with mustard or ketchup, forms the basis for the coming hours, during which you will test a wide variety of beers. 

Kurze Straße is also home to another address that is well-known beyond the city limits: The Kürzer brewery brews its much sought-after beverage here, in the middle of Düsseldorf's bustling old town, in several converted ancient residential buildings. And, compared to the other home breweries, it has only been doing so for a modest ten years. However, the daily onslaught of mainly young Alt drinkers is testimony to an impeccable Alt beer. You can also find out on site which clubs, which have been established for decades, still have lines forming weekend after weekend.

Ratinger Street/Crossmen's Corner

Have you ever heard of Ratinger Straße? Even visitors from far away often know not only Düsseldorf's Königsallee, but also "Ratinger". It is not only home to restaurants, pubs, bars and the Ratinger Hof, the birthplace of the Toten Hosen, but also one of the city's most famous breweries: the Füchschen. Almost as popular is the Kreuzherrenecke, although Düsseldorfers like to dispense with the last "e" and affectionately say "Kreuzherreneck. Old and young, locals and newcomers, party-goers and relaxation-seekers like to enjoy a schnapps with their Alt. A salmiakki, a schnapps with licorice, is at the top of the list for many. 

On the way through the most popular nightlife district in the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, you'll also learn why the shape of the beer glass has a significant influence on the taste of the drink, why a home brewery has theoretically been using yeast for more than 100 years, and in which German states the Purity Law still applies today.

Holy Craft

With an alcohol content of 7.5 percent, imported from Finland, and heated with an iron bar: If you can't try a beer at Holy Craft, then it probably won't taste good. Because the beer bar, which opened in 2017, stocks just about every conceivable variety: classic Alt brewed in Düsseldorf, but also Pale Ale, IPA and Stout - to name just a small selection. With a few nuts in hand, it's easy to spend an hour or two in the immediate vicinity of the tap - especially since you'll get plenty of beer knowledge along the way at this stop on the tour. For example, what special features the Belgians rely on in their beer, why it's best to keep your hands out of reach of the beer glass belly (i.e. transfer as little heat as possible to the beverage), or why in Germany the veterinary office (yes!) decides on the approval of a new craft beer in case of doubt. Taste your way through the Holy Craft lineup, which offers more than 60 varieties from all over the world, a dozen of them fresh from the barrel. Typical phrase from the staff: "With 7.5 percent alcohol content, imported from Finland, made hot with an iron bar."

Title image: Düsseldorf Tourism

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