About Us
Ein historischer Standort mit neuer Seele
BRAUWELT KÖLN
Die BRAUWELT Köln befindet sich auf dem Gelände der ältesten Brauerei Kölns in Köln-Kalk. Am historischen Standort der Sünner Brauerei wird auch die älteste Brennerei Kölns betrieben, in der auf Kölner Weizenbasis Alkohol gebrannt und destilliert wird.
Experience real craftsmanship first-hand and take a look behind the scenes of Cologne's oldest brewery and distillery. Whether it's a brewery tour, beer tasting or gin tasting - we'll stimulate your mind and throat. The broad portfolio includes 11 beers, 16 spirits, liqueurs and numerous lemonades.
Gastronomically, BRAUWELT Köln offers a brewhouse with a panoramic beer garden. The high ceilings of the vaulted ceilings and the unplastered masonry characterize the unique character of these historic ice cellars and provide the perfect setting for an unforgettable evening.
In addition, the "BRAUWELT - Showroom" not only invites visitors to purchase or sample a wide variety of beers and spirits, but also impresses with Cologne's oldest steam engine. In the historic room between the distillery and the brewhouse, the high-quality spirits can also be tapped and personalized right away.
The history of the Sünner brewery -
The oldest Kölsch brewery in the world
1830
Franz Hess
The Sünner brewery in Kalk is the oldest Kölsch brewery in the world. Its origin goes back to Franz Hess, Christian Sünner's brother-in-law, who founded a small house brewery - "Zum Schiffgen" - with a distillery and pub on the Deutzer Freiheit in 1830. Around 1846, after the death of the Franz Hess couple, who had no children, Christian Sünner took over the brewery and distillery and continued to run it with his four sons.
1858 - 1896
Colliery brewery
In 1858 he acquired a larger piece of land in what was then a very small town of Kalk and built the imposing brewery building on Kalker Hauptstrasse, which is now a listed building. The stately garden restaurant "Zur Zeche" was connected to the new brewery and for a long time was one of the most popular restaurants in Cologne on the east side of the Rhine. In the decades that followed, the business boomed to such an extent that the machinery and wineries had to be constantly expanded and the performance of the Sünner brewery in 1896 was one of the top in the Cologne brewing industry.
1945 - 1950
Destruction and Reconstruction
After the brewery had been severely damaged in both world wars, it was rebuilt and restarted in the 1950s. The historic brewery building on Kalker Hauptstrasse has been restored to a high gloss. It is the oldest industrial building monument in Cologne that has been preserved in its original function.
1996 - 2009
Beer garden and Sünner cellar
In the shadow of the historic brewhouse, the brewery beer garden opened at the beginning of June 1996, and in 2009 the historic ice cellar was converted into a cozy brewery, characterized by the high vaulted ceilings and the unplastered brickwork.
2022
Merger with the Malzmühle
After the Sünner brewery was taken over by the Malzmühle in January 2022, the oldest (1830) and second oldest (1858) Kölsch brewery now belong to one family and brew their beers together under one roof.