Food & Beer Culture

In winter, Bremen is defined by kale with Pinkel sausage. Pinkel is a smoked grain sausage made with oat groats and bacon. It tastes rich, smoky, and fatty, and a dry pilsner cuts right through that richness without clashing with the smoke.

Out of this tradition came the Kohlfahrt, or "kale hike": groups head out into the countryside in winter pulling handcarts, drinking beer along the way and eating kale once they reach their destination. It's more of a social celebration than a drinking bout, and many Bremen clubs mark it as an annual event.

The city's most famous feast is the Schaffermahlzeit, held at Bremen's town hall since 1545. Merchants, shipowners, and captains would gather each spring before the ships set sail. The traditional menu includes chicken soup, stockfish, kale with Pinkel, roast veal, Riga flounder, and cheese.

Part of the tradition is the Seefahrtsbier, or "Seafarer's Beer." According to the brewery, it's brewed by Beck's specifically for the Schaffermahlzeit and is otherwise unavailable. The recipe is said to be very old, reportedly dating back to 1554.

In everyday life, Bremen drinks its pilsner from the tulip glass or straight from the bottle. The city prescribes no fixed serving ritual. The Hanseatic identity was built above all on trade and seafaring, and beer is simply part of that story, not a ceremony unto itself.

Anyone taking part in the Kohlfahrt accepts the Pinkel that comes with it: smoked, stuffed with bacon and oat groats, and slow-cooked in the kale for hours. Beer is drunk alongside it, and the outing is considered a winter tradition in northern Germany. The Kohlfahrt is ultimately a communal celebration, bringing people together to eat and walk as a group.