Ratsherrn, Hamburg

Have you ever wanted to go to a place that has an incredible bottle shop of over 500 bottles; their own craft brewery, taproom and restaurant all in one area?

If so Ratsherrn, in Hamburg is the place to be. Well, I say Ratsherrn, but when you look up ‘craft beer Hamburg’ a place called “The Beer Store” pops up. This is Ratsherrn. The name really doesn’t do it justice. You walk in to a big, beautiful old warehouse full of shelves with fresh beer and a larger counter with a Growler filler in the middle of it. Then you see a door in the corner that leads into a courtyard. If you’re like me, your going to want to check it out and boy, will you be glad you did.

When I went into that courtyard I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Well, my liver felt like it might die. To the right is Ratsherrn’s Brewery. All glass fronted, so you can see them brewing (when they are brewing). Directly in front is another glass fronted building – their restaurant and taproom. A perfect space, open, industrial and with a massive bar in the centre of the room. In the left hand corner is the kitchen, again, open to the elements so you can watch them cooking your stone baked pizza or cutting pasta into strands. It is definitely something to behold.

While there, I pitched up at the bar for a few beers, the first of which was Zwickel, their Kellerbier at 5.4%. It was fresh, cool and crisp. There were no crazy flavours to it; just a pure, simple, honest kellerbier that was just perfect for the day. I must admit it didn’t have time to touch the sides of my mouth it was so good. Honestly, you cannot ask for better. Brewery to tap in 20 meters.

My second round was their Imperial pale. Amber in colour, thick and full of flavour and body. It was a beer that packed a punch. At 9.5% you can understand why. A beer that was very easy drinking; not overly carbonated and refreshing.

After two, I thought I best explore the beer shop so paid my tab and left. The beer shop is amazing. high ceilings and industrial lighting make the place feel huge. I had to ask for help because there were just so many beers to chose from. I ended up settling on six. A Galaxy ale by Simian Brewing, A sour ale by Ratsherrn, 2 Imperial stouts by Kees and Great Divide Brewing, and a NEIPA by Sudden Death Brewing.

I thought that was enough because my bank account felt like sudden death after a day drinking beer around Hamburg.

For anyone who’s in the area please go check this place out, I would love to go back again. Great food, great vibes and great people!