Monday 29th November 2010
Bob Thompson
This is an interesting pub with its own exclusive beer. It's situated in a residential area of the Prenzlauerberg district of the former East Berlin.
It was just after opening time when I visited and, as it was quiet, I had the opportunity to chat to Markus Wanke, the owner of the pub. He is passionate about quality when it comes to beer.
He started his working life with the Hoepfner Brewery in Karlsruhe as an assistant brewer, going on the world-renowned Weihenstephan University in Freising, Bavaria where he acquired a diploma in Brewing. He then spent many years in journalism and public relations with a global beverages company. He has now completed the circle and is back to brewing.
The pub does not have its own brewery on site so Markus regularly travels to the Spreewalder Privat Brauerei in Schlepzig on the banks of the River Spree.
This brewery is located in a hotel / restaurant complex and seems like it deserves a visit soon. Markus brews 300 litres at a time in their brewery and brings back his beer to Berlin.
It is a system that appears to work well as the beers are excellent. Specials are brewed but the core range of Wanke beers are Pils, Schwarzbier (Black), Weizen (Wheat) and Doppelbock. I thought the Pils was excellent, extremely drinkable.
The pub is situated down a few steps down from street level and is very modern, being laid out in the minimalist style. One wall is adorned with a graphic that explains the brewing process
.
The pub is operated by Marcus and his wife Ilona, whom I also met. The food is as interesting as the beers, as they offer what they call Bavarian Tapas, which are basically solid classic southern German dishes in snack-sized portions. None are more than Є4 and there are also more substantive meals.
The pub is open only in the evenings so please check the hours below before visiting, but it is well worth a trip to Prenzlauerberg.
Important Information:
Leibhaftig, Metzer Strasse 39, Berlin-Prenzlauerberg 10405. Tel: 030 5481 5039
Open: Monday to Saturday 18.00-24.00
The pub is around 200m walk from Senefelderplatz U-Bahn station on line U2.
