Rivals

(Originally posted January 2010)

Prologue (Sort of)

Two cities, both alike in breweries

In fair Germany, where we lay our scene

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny

Where civil beer makes civil tankards unclean

From forth the angry breweries of these two foes

The Weeping Radish Kolsch and Alt Bier arise

And by neutrally prospering in North Carolina

Do with their quality bury their parents’ strife.

Not many people outside Germany know that there is a passionate rivalry between the cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf. Not many people outside Germany know where these two cities are located. (They’re in the northwestern part of the country and Cologne is about twenty-five miles south of Düsseldorf. I had to look it up too!) One of the main reasons for their discord is that both cities produce a distinct style of beer and neither one will admit the merits of the other. Düsseldorf is famous for its Alt Bier while Cologne invented Kolsch beer. However, in the spirit of neutrality, the Weeping Radish Brewery produces both styles to the delight of its patrons.

The Weeping Radish Kolsch beer is extremely popular and pays homage to its German roots by displaying the famous Cologne Cathedral on its label. It was this label that caught the eye of a German radio reporter based in Washington DC. Nina Magoley is from Cologne and made a special trip to the Weeping Radish to speak with Uli Bennewitz about his brewery and his experiences on both sides of the Atlantic. The result was a story on www.wdr.de and a live radio show. At the end of the article Uli couldn’t resist a little jab at the cities’ rivalry. “We had a customer from Düsseldorf come by and try the Kolsch,” Uli said. “He told me there was something wrong with the Kolsch. It tasted good!”

This article, the last line in particular, caught the attention of Bildzeitung, the largest daily German newspaper with a large office in Düsseldorf. With true German efficiency, they did their research and discovered that the Weeping Radish also brewed an Alt Bier. A reporter was on the phone to Uli within minutes and Weeping Radish Alt Bier labels and other information began buzzing through cyberspace. Their article on the Weeping Radish Brewery will be published in the next few days and, big surprise, promises to focus heavily on the Alt Bier. 

As amusing as this rivalry may seem to us, and we are having a wonderful time poking fun at both cities, there is a positive outcome: Cologne and Düsseldorf will continue to produce outstanding beers if only to spite their rival. Prost!