Segment: Cologne’s Beer Culture
Episode: Grand European ep 11
Air Date: 1st March 2020
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

Viking offers an optional shore excursion, “Cologne’s Beer Culture”, that gives guests a chance to experience this delicious part of German culture.

• Viking river cruises are able to spend longer in port, with the ship docking in Cologne overnight – this gives guests a great chance to explore the city at night.
• Cologne’s Old Town has a distinctive historical charm, with rustic, narrow alleys lined with traditional old houses. There is a huge number of breweries, pubs and restaurants here, and it’s a popular destination with locals and tourists alike.
• Peters serves Kolsch beer – a beer brewed with specific requirements. Germany has a law of purity – the beer must only have hops, malt, yeast and water. It has to be tapped out of its own carbon dioxide. It has to be served out of 0.2litre glasses. There has to be one spot from your brewing facilities offering a view of the cathedral.
• When ‘cheersing’ here, you clink the bottom of the glass – clinking the top will give 7 years of bad luck.
• The glasses here will be continually refilled unless you place your drink coaster on top of your glass – this shows you have had enough.
• The food experience on the tour is fantastic, with 2 main courses and a desert.