Brauhaus Sion, Traditional brewery and inn in Altstadt-Nord, Germany.
Brauhaus Sion is a brewery and inn in Cologne's Altstadt-Nord, situated on the street Unter Taschenmacher, with several dining rooms spread across a large building. The house Kölsch is brewed on the premises and served directly to guests in the same complex.
A tavern at this spot was first recorded in 1318, when the site was known for producing mead from herbs and honey. Over the following centuries, the operation shifted toward brewing Kölsch, the light top-fermented beer that became central to Cologne's drinking life.
The servers, known locally as Köbes, carry Kölsch to the tables in the slim, straight glasses called Stangen, topping them up without being asked. Covering your glass with a coaster is the local signal that you have had enough.
The inn sits in the middle of Cologne's old town and is easy to reach on foot from most of the city's central attractions. Seating fills up quickly on weekends and during events, so reserving a table in advance is a good idea.
Although Kölsch is now a pale, light beer, the earliest drink produced at this address was mead, made from honey and herbs with no grain involved. The shift from a honey-based drink to a grain-based one unfolded gradually over several centuries at the same site.
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