Brauerei Päffgen GmbH & Co. KG
The top-fermenting home brewery PÄFFGEN was founded in 1883 by Hermann Päffgen. It is the oldest brewery in Cologne and still brews today in its original location in the Friesenviertel. The heart of the business beats in the brewhouse behind the beer garden. The fermentation cellar is deep down. Here the beer ferments in open vats, the foaming yeast settles on the surface – top fermentation. It is then allowed to store and mature for a long time before being bottled in oak barrels. Päffgen-Kölsch is still brewed by hand today and has therefore retained its own character. Until the 1950s, the only route to the brewery was through the pub and beer garden. Even today you can fold the small tables against the wall in the tavern, where horse-drawn carts used to rumble through the bar. And in summer, guests can enjoy the warm season in the shade of two hundred-year-old chestnut trees.
Author: Caroline Porsiel
Caroline Porsiel is a master distiller and liqueurist based in East Ellijay, Georgia. She founded House of Applejay, a fine spirits and liqueur distillery, in 2022 with her mother, Sabine, crafting award-winning products like Applejay from Ellijay, Mt. Frozen Knob Vodka, and Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. The distillery won a 2024 Best of Georgia Award and a 2025 Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. As a founding member of the AMBRU Campaign, launched in 2020, Porsiel advocates for the global recognition of American Brandy and Rum. She continues to drive innovation in the craft spirits industry from her active distillery in the heart of Georgia’s apple country.
