The Kölsch Crew

The historic vaulted cellar beneath the Gilden beer house at Zims is one of the oldest preserved cellars in Cologne’s Old Town. During the tour, we dive into the city’s past here for a special moment – the perfect backdrop for fascinating stories and a great photo. It’s one of the wow moments our guests especially love.

On our tour, we won’t show you the breweries’ production halls – we’ll show you what really makes Cologne’s beer culture special: traditional beer houses and cozy old pubs in the Old Town.
Kölsch isn’t brewed there – it’s lived. Locals and visitors sit together, stories are born – and you’ll experience that atmosphere up close with us.
Many brewery tours are also fully booked weeks or months in advance. In the beer houses, on the other hand, you’ll discover the city’s authentic side – often in places with a long brewing history of their own.
And let’s be honest: brew kettles often look pretty similar around the world.
But the Cologne way of life? You’ll only find that here. 🍻

Metthappen is seasoned raw minced pork on a bread roll with fresh onions – a typical Cologne delicacy. Halver Hahn (literally: half a rooster) is a rye roll with a thick slice of Dutch cheese, butter, mustard, and onions – despite the name, there’s no chicken involved! Both are classic Cologne beer hall dishes. On the tour, you choose one of the two options.

Absolutely! 😊
Our tours aren’t just about Kölsch, but primarily about history, anecdotes, and the Cologne way of life.

The beer halls also serve wine, soft drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages.
Many of our guests don’t drink beer at all – and still have a great time.