History of the "Brauerei zur Malzmühle"
Grain trade at the Heumarkt square
Before the founding of the "Brauerei zur Malzmühle", the Heumarkt was a central reloading point for the municipal grain trade. The old city mill stood there from 1572 until the end of 1813. It supplied almost all the brewers in the region with crushed malt from wheat and barley. The current brewery owes its name to this original mill.
Foundation of the "Brauerei zur Malzmühle"
One of Cologne's most traditional companies celebrated its anniversary in 2018: Nearly 160 years ago, the beer brewer Hubert Koch founded the "Brauerei zur Malzmühle" at Heumarkt no 6 under the name ‘Bier- und Malz-Extract-Dampfbrauerei Hubert Koch.’
The Schwartz family
In 1912, Hubert Koch sold the brewery at Heumarkt to his nephew Gottfried Joseph Schwartz. Gottfried Joseph Schwartz gave a new name to the ‘Bier- und Malz-Extract-Dampfbrauerei Hubert Koch’: ‘Brauerei zur Malzmühle’ (Brewery at the Malt Mill). After the death of Gottfried Josef Schwartz, his widow Margaretha Schwartz took over the management of the brewery. She led the operations at the "Brauerei zur Malzmühle" with a firm hand for ten years. In 1932, her son Hubert Josef Schwartz, and thus the second Schwartz generation, took over the business until his death in 1944.
Destruction & resconstruction
The Brewery at the Malt Mill can look back on an eventful history full of highs and lows. The most dramatic experience was certainly the nearly complete destruction of the malt mill by bombing raids in 1945. Sybille Schwartz led the company through what was certainly the hardest time. She succeeded in saving the company and restarting production after World War II. She took care of the reconstruction of the old brewery, which was completely destroyed except for the portal. To this day, this portal adorns the entrance to the brewery and is thus an unmissable landmark for the new beginning. Already in 1948 the operation at the brewery was resumed, while guests still had to be served outdoors.
Brewhouse culture
In the years after the WW 2 the contemporary brewhouse culture started.
The brewery and the economic boom
In 1960, Anneliese Schwartz took over the management of the company. Together with the site manager, she managed to turn the brewery into a healthy, mid-sized company, that enjoyed a great reputation even outside Cologne. The economic boom and the thirst of the people of Cologne helped her achieve this. The brewery was restored to what it had always been in the period before the war - one of the most popular meeting places for all people in Cologne, young or old, rich or poor.
Visit by US president Bill Clinton
A very special event was certainly the visit of the then incumbent US President Bill Clinton, on the occasion of the G8 summit in Cologne on 17 June 1999. Even today the rumour persists that the president originally planned his visit in the restaurant Lommerzheim and that the request was understood as a joke. In the meantime, however, several contemporary witnesses have confirmed that the "Brauerei zur Malzmühle" was the first choice for the president’s visit from the very start due to its favourable location and ample escape routes. Even today, numerous American guests come to the "Brauerei zur Malzmühle" to be photographed at the Clinton table under the photo of the former president.
Development & expansion
The Brewery at the Malt Mill has always been one of the most traditional and popular breweries in Cologne, especially because the popular Mühlen Kölsch is brewed there in the back building section as well as in the cellar. With the conversion of the entire building complex from 2010 to 2015, capacities were significantly expanded. Since 2010, the brewery has been gradually expanded from 200 to 500 seats. With the newly erected HÖHNERStall, a multifunctional event room was created that offers a further 150 seats. Since 2017, food pairing has been a top priority here, where the right craft beer is available for all dishes. The new MühlenBar also specialises in craft beer and Kölsch cocktails. And with the ‘Hotel zur Malzmühle’, the brewery really managed a particular coup in 2015. Six of the 37 rooms feature their own Kölsch connection with a tap in the bathroom, according to the motto ‘cold, warm, Kölsch’.
till 2016
#echtlecker
Major investments have been made in the production technology as well as the brand appearance. For example, the Malt Mill has been using a new barrel filling system and completely new barrels since 2012. The #echtlecker campaign, which has been running since 2016, has given the brand appearance a higher quality. The investments into the future have been worth every penny. The brewhouse at Heumarkt square is one of Cologne’s flagship establishments. HÖHNERStall, Hotel and MühlenBar have fully established themselves and Kölsch sales have been rising noticeably and against the market trend since 2011. Although the market share of the "Brauerei zur Malzmühle" on the Kölsch market is only just under 3%, it is solidly positioned in its niche on the fiercely contested beer market.
Experience "Brauerei zur Malzmühle"
Even today, the well-known Mühlen Kölsch is still brewed at its original place of origin according to an old family recipe, and the brewery is managed by Melanie Schwartz in the fifth generation together with the Cologne management consultant Dr. Michael Rosenbaum. The younger sister, Jennifer Schwartz and the mother, Gabriele Schwartz, are also still employed at the brewery. In general, in the 160-year story, it was often the women in the family who took over the management of the brewery and were always very successful.