Brewery – Cölner Hofbräu P. Josef Früh KG
House – Früh am Dom – The Source
Address – Am Hof 12-18, 50667, Köln
Date of first visit – July 1997
Most recent visit – September 5th, 2024
Ruhetag – Nil
URL – https://www.frueh-am-dom.de/brauhaus.html
Bier Notes:
Früh Kölsch 0.2l Direkt
This is Hector’s second favourite Kölsch. This Bier is always bright on the palate partly due to the fact that it is always served cool, and the freshest of flavours. A drink for all occasions.
Früh am Dom is the largest and by far the most impressive drinking establishment in Köln. The serving area and subsequent corridor are always full of people having a swift half before continuing on their way. The corridor gives way to small room on the left called The Sauna, yes it can become warm in summer. Here Marg always looks for her pet mouse. To the right of the corridor and to the left at the end are the two large ground level rooms. One can always get seated somewhere in here.
Downstairs becomes complicated. There is a direct entrance to the Keller from the street, or one can gain access from the end of the corridor down the stairs past the toilets. However there is a mid-lower level and through a gap in the brickwork, another hidden room. The lowest level is the Keller proper where the Bier is stored and the kitchen is sited. The kitchen serves the full array of classic German meals.
In our early visits we were fascinated by the fact that the Keller was the only place to sell Goulash Soup in a hollowed out Bread Roll. The Bier was good too. The Friends of Hector brought in New Year 2008 in the Früh Keller, part of which by this time had been dedicated as non-smoking. The ban came in immediately after. Now we find that at 23.00 the ashtrays go out and we clear off.
On Hector’s Stag Trip at Easter 2004, Al, Dr Stan and Hector paid two visits in one day, we were staying in Brussels. This was the first time we ordered our own Fass at the table. This was repeated at Clive’s 50th Birthday Bash when two 10l Fass were consumed of an evening.
The most memorable night in the Früh Keller must be the aforementioned Silvester. The second Fass made an appearance but in the small hours when it became Craig’s bedtime, he and Yvonne bid their farewells. Forty five minutes later they reappeared. Hector clocked what had happened at once:
How do you get out of this place? – they asked….
A significant number of the staff have remained constant over the years so there is a semblance of recognition. However, given the number of faces seen in a month, who knows?