Peters, Reisdorf or Früh.
I think there are still 30 local breweries so you should try them all.
Thanks! Früh is the most famous (at least among tourists), no?
Haha! I’ll try!
Actually, I think there has been a great deal of consolidation among brewers… I dunno how many truly independent brewers still operate in Cologne.
Independent only 2 I guess, others merged or got merged, but they still keep their brand names.
The Früh brewery is next to the Cathedral, maybe that is why it is more famous among tourists. Try “Malzmühle” for food, it is a nice beer house and brewery near Heumarkt basically crowded with locals.
[quote=“robi666”]Independent only 2 I guess, others merged or got merged, but they still keep their brand names.
The Früh brewery is next to the Cathedral, maybe that is why it is more famous among tourists. Try “Malzmühle” for food, it is a nice beer house and brewery near Heumarkt basically crowded with locals.[/quote]
robi666,
Thank you very much for the suggestion/recommendation!
Taiwanese in general like german beer b/c it is perceived to be of high quality. heineken is popular for that reason - people think it is german and the company does little to change that perception.[/quote]
haha so true, Taiwanese do seem to think HEineken is German !! And if you say its Dutch. They would likely say “oh same thing” Asians probably think Dutch people speak German and mix up Holland with Germany? LIke a lot of white people think Taiwan and Thailand is the same country!!
No doubt the old timers in Taiwan will remember circa 1981 when Taiwan still had only one beer and that was TAiwan Beer. And then one summer Taiwan Beer imported probably a shipload of Heineken because they couldnt keep up with demand. The Heineken was sold at just a small premium over Taiwan Beer and had such a huge following that eventually the government was persuaded to open up the market to imports in a big way. Then that was probably the Golden Age of Beer REnaisance in Taiwan. Literally dozens of brews sprang up in the market overnight. Everyone got into the act and was importing beers of all sorts and from virtually everywhere. HOwever the Beer War had begun. And after a short year or two market consolidation started occuring with only a handful of beers remaining in the market. And as the years went by, pressure mounted and mounted till basically we have what is available today.
MY personal favs (acknowledging that i have not tried many many brews) include :
Lowenbrau
Warsteiner
Becks
St Pauli Girl
Carlsberg
New Castle Brown Ale
corona extra
miller draft
grolsch
sapporo
and a bunch of others on the tip of my tongue right now
p.s. Taiwan Beer in bottles is not the same Taiwan Beer in the cans. And the bottled ones were patterned after German Beers , but with some rice added I understand. It won some sort of award once and the canned beer (American style) won a silver medal I understand. They arent bad, especially the bottled ones. Taiwan Beer like Tsingtao in China were started by German beer meisters I understand.
Quality is too expensive for 7-11?
Ever tasted water? That’s how Koelsch tastes. 
You may also want to visit the Biermuseum (Beer museum) in the Altstadt (Old City) of Cologne, they have a huge selection of beers from all over the world. Just in case you agree with me on Koelsch. 
Seriously though, Frueh brewery is ok. The food there is on the expensive side though. But climb the cathedral before drinking.
(It is, or at least was, possible to take a tour up on the tower)
Are you from Düsseldorf? 
Yeah, I know Kolsch is a light-tasting ale. And I will likely prefer the heavier-hopped Altbier to Kolsch… but, when in Cologne, one drinks Kolsch, no? I have had and enjoyed both Hannan Alt and Diebel’s Alt.
Might try to squeeze that in. I’ll be visiting my German family there (they’re from Bielefeld and will make the short trip over to Cologne)… but, I’ll be in Amsterdam and Brussels, too… so, I expect I’ll be drinking many old favorites and trying some new brews, too.
Your mission should you choose to accept it:
( from http://www.classiccitybrew.com/amsterdam.html )
Wildeman
3 Kolksteeg (#1 on map)
ph. 20-638-2248
If you enjoy great beer, no trip to Amsterdam would be complete without a visit to this remarkable beer café. Its charm, atmosphere, and beer selection make it one of the best beer bars in the world. It is found (at times with some difficulty) on a small alley just off Oude Brugsteeg. There is a rare non-smoking room to the right of the main bar as one enters the front door, and only light snacks are offered. The beer selection is somewhere around 200 and includes draft selections from Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK! I have always been impressed with the bartenders and staff at Wildeman – they are interested in their customers and ready to talk about beer and recommend a selection. Fans of the Michael Jackson “Beer Hunter” television series from the late 1980’s will recall the Trappist-style ale tasting that was filmed in the right bar.
- Opens around noon most days, closed Sunday.
Arendsnest
90 Herengracht (#2 on map)
ph. 20-421-2057
Make it a special point to visit this extraordinary beer cafe that only serves Dutch brews. Our group was amazed as we looked at the beer list that includes so many craft beers from small breweries in the Netherlands that we had never before encountered! Peter van Arend is the owner of the Arendsnest (Eagle’s Nest) and has a right to be proud of what he has accomplished here. If you are at a loss as to what beer to order, simply consult the staff who will be happy to make a suggestion. The list of beers we sampled here includes: Waddenbier (Dubbel from Friesland with hints of berry, toffee, and fruit), Buorren Bier (from De Friese brewery with a nice, sour, Flanders Brown Ale aroma and flavor), Birre Bier (honey beer with honey, spice, and cinnamon notes), Haerlemsch Brewery Old Ale (more like an Imperial Stout and Barleywine combination), Hertog Jan Grand Prestige (chocolate, plum, rich malt notes), Jopen Hoppen (hoppy, dry, fruity and spicy), X-Porter (made by homebrewers who contract with a brewery to produce this effervescent beer with espresso/chocolate character), Czaar Peter (sweet, rich, and chocolate-like with 8.5% abv), Stadsbrouwerij De Hemel (beer “from heaven” with a spicy, malty, buttery, rich taste of a big Tripel), and Oster (flavors of Porter and clove from a northern fishing village). If all this beer arouses your appetite, the Lieve restaurant next door has Belgian/Dutch food and a good beer selection.
- Arendsnest opens at 4 PM daily.
't IJ
7 Funenkade (#6 on map)
ph. 20-622-8325
This unique brewpub definitely ranks as one of the top beer destinations in the world – it brews its beer under a windmill in a space that used to be a public bath house. The opening hours are very limited, and visitors should always expect a large crowd of locals and international beer hunters. Squeezing through the thick crowd of interesting folks to get a beer at the bar is part of the fun at this brewpub. The brewery was opened in the eighties by songwriter and homebrewer Kaspar Peterson and has a cool, funky atmosphere about it. You should try to grab a taxi over to this area of Amsterdam, as it is a pretty long walk from the center of town (just tell the cab driver you want to go to “the brewery under the windmill”). Try the Struis (9%), Columbus (9%), Zatte (an 8% Tripel), and Natte (a 6.5% Dubbel). Peanuts are also available at the bar for one euro. Ton Zijp, one of the bartenders at 't IJ also works as a salesperson at the Bierkoning beer store in Amsterdam and is a wealth of beer information (and a very friendly fellow).
- Open from 3 PM to 8 PM Wednesday to Sunday.
And to prepare you for the next Tigerfest:
Bierkoning
125 Paleisstraat (#12 on map)
ph. 20-625-2336
If there is space in your luggage to bring excellent beer home with you, be sure to make a trip to the Bierkoning retail beer store. This is one of the best beer stores in the world – it boasts a remarkable selection of ales and lagers from around the world. You’ll also want to check out the array of beer glasses for sale behind the cash register. The downstairs nook offers ciders, fruit beers, and Belgian Lambics, while the upstairs shopping area contains Trappist beers, Dubbels and Tripels, Barleywines, Belgian Ales, Scotch Ales (oh my, the list goes on and on). The staff is very helpful and is more than willing to discuss which beers are right for your tastes. All major credit cards are accepted (with an added 5% service charge).
- Opens around noon daily and closes in the late afternoon.
Now get working on your homework. 
Second that. Fantastic atmosphere.
Your mission should you choose to accept it:
[/quote]
Hey,
I have been to each of those places on my previous visit to the Dam and plan to return to them again in June. I especially like the ales brewed by 't IJ! And the Eagle’s Nest is great for Dutch brews… and the Wild Man is exceptional… and the Beer King is a great store… Damn… can’t wait!
BTW, on my last trip to the Dam, I met Ton Zijp, one of the bartenders at 't IJ who also works as a salesperson at the Bierkoning beer store and is indeed a wealth of beer information (and a very friendly fellow)…
Your mission should you choose to accept it:
[/quote]
Hey,
I have been to each of those places on my previous visit to the Dam and plan to return to them again in June. I especially like the ales brewed by 't IJ! And the Eagle’s Nest is great for Dutch brews… and the Wild Man is exceptional… and the Beer King is a great store… Damn… can’t wait![/quote]
How big is your carry-on?
You must go to De Koninck in Antwerpen on your way from Amsterdam to Brussels. No smoking on trains has really fucked up this journey nowadays though, especially with the quality of tobacco available in Amsterdam.
BroonAnvers
Close. Small town in the sphere of influence of Diebel’s Alt, my favorite German beer. Second comes Bitburger Pils. 
(Though I am actually not much of a beer drinker as you might know).
Last time I tried to order Alt in a typical Cologne pub they nearly threw me out. I still wonder why.
[quote=“tommy525”]No doubt the old timers in Taiwan will remember circa 1981 when Taiwan still had only one beer and that was TAiwan Beer. And then one summer Taiwan Beer imported probably a shipload of Heineken because they couldnt keep up with demand. The Heineken was sold at just a small premium over Taiwan Beer and had such a huge following that eventually the government was persuaded to open up the market to imports in a big way. Then that was probably the Golden Age of Beer REnaisance in Taiwan. Literally dozens of brews sprang up in the market overnight. [/quote]Sorry, but your history is incorrect in several regards.
The Taiwan Wine & Tobacco Monopoly Bureau is one of the few businesses in the country that actually does what it’s name suggests. It used to be that they were the only company allowed to import alcohol at all, and they didn’t import any beer until the US and the EU started screaming about the massive trade surplus that Taiwan enjoyed behind it’s various protectionist barriers. The story that Taiwan Beer was ‘internationally famous’ was invented and the population was happy to swallow the story along with the beer. Finally the govt. caved in to pressure and allowed the Bureau to import three foreign beers, one from the EU (Heineken) and two from the US (Michelob and Budweiser) to reflect the rough proportions of the trade imbalance. In order to load the dice the govt. decided to levy an import duty on beer in the amount of NT$30 per liter which would ensure they always retailed at a good premium above Taiwan Beer. Sales of imported beer were okay, mainly out of curiosity to try a new product. After a couple of years, when the govt. was sure it was not going to lose the whole market to imports, TTWTMB realized it could actually make more money levying duty on imported beer than actually brewing and marketing the stuff themselves. The doors were thrown open to allcomers and the imports finally took about 10% of the market. As more brands entered the market they found they were able to increase their own market share only at the expense of other imports; Taiwan Beer always had 90% of the market and the imports would gain or lose share their marketing efforts. Heineken and to a lesser extent Michelob still remained the best sellers due to their early presence and strong brand awareness. They simply did not have to spend as much on marketing as the others to hold or increase their market share. Many of the new importers simply gave up fighting for a slice of the 10% the imports could wrest away from the monolith of Taiwan Beer, and so you see less brands on the shelves now than say 10 years ago.
No one really knows why Taiwan Beer is so unassailable. Patriotism? Unwillingness to try different things? Some of the most successful import beers in Taiwan were rip-offs of Taiwan Beer (oh the irony) like Superior Beer and Essential Beer which put cheap and nasty US or European brews into blue and white cans strikingly reminicent of Taiwan Beer’s package and sold at about NT$1 less. That suggests to me that the bulk of the market buys beer on price alone and thus is getting what it deserves, no more and no less.
That’s probably because you never had a good beer …
bumpety …
That’s why some Taiwanese drink cooking (rice)wine …
Redwagon nails it. Tommy 525, you ought to edit that list of favourite “beers” (I use that term in the loosest possible sense). That list is the beer equivalent of admitting to carrying a man-purse. 
I like Taiwan Beer. Its fresh, consistent and well made.
And yes…I do know good beer. I’ve drank beer all over the world. I was a home brewer for 10 years prior to coming here.
More importantly…I know bad beer when I taste it.
For what it is, Taiwan Beer is good beer.
“Man purse”…LOL…now thats funny