Food & Beer Culture

In the Eifel, Pils is traditionally paired with Döppekooche. What is it? A potato dish baked in the oven: grated potatoes with bacon, onions, and eggs, baked into a kind of cake—the "Kooche"—in a cast-iron pot, the "Döppe". It used to be considered a poor man's meal; today it's a classic of Eifel cuisine.

Locals are said to have shortened the laborious process of frying potato pancakes by simply baking the batter in a pot instead. It's served with a bit of applesauce or blood sausage. Those who couldn't afford a goose for St. Martin's Day made Döppekooche instead, and in some Eifel towns it's still served on St. Martin's Eve.

The beer that goes with it shouldn't compete with the food. A Pils cuts through the bacon and fat with its bitterness, and the carbonation refreshes the palate after every bite. A malty Helles works just as well, since it picks up the sweetness of the onions. With hearty food like this, a cool beer usually works better than a heavy wine.

In many pubs across the region, Bitburger flows straight from the tap. Part of the ritual is waiting at the bar after ordering, until the head sits just right. A Pils takes time, and the people of the Eifel give it that time, as the saying goes, without anyone rushing it.

Beyond the pubs, the Eifel also cultivates brewery experiences: brewery tours, tasting cellars, and small brewhouses like the one in Mendig. Take a look around, and you'll see that the region has more than one face, despite the dominance of a single big brand. In the glass, though, it mostly comes down to the same thing: a cool, fresh beer that pairs well with food and doesn't weigh down the evening.