Region & History

How many breweries did Münster once have? More than a hundred, according to the city guides, and nearly all of them brewed Altbier. Water from the wells was often contaminated in the cramped old town, so people fetched a jug of beer from the brewer instead. Count what's left today, and you arrive at a single address.

It lies in the Kuhviertel and belongs to the Müller family. Johannes Müller came to Münster from Hildebrandshausen in 1816, married Friederika Cramer, and opened a bakery and brewery under one roof. His son Carl closed the bakery in 1866 and built a malthouse in its place instead. Today the seventh generation runs Pinkus Müller, and the brewery is regarded as the last of Münster's old Altbier breweries.

To the east, in Ostwestfalen, industry followed. On April 1, 1878, brothers Gustav and Georg Uekermann founded the "Brauerei zum Felsenkeller" in Schweicheln near Herford, producing 9,474 hectoliters in their first year. This grew into the Herforder Brauerei, which has belonged to the Warsteiner Group since July 1, 2007.

The Paderborner Brauerei, founded in 1852, also joined Warsteiner, in 1990. Add to that smaller houses like Warburger Brauerei in the Höxter district. The pattern across the region: a few big brands under corporate ownership, and a single brewery still run continuously by one family.

There's no protected designation of origin here. The EU beer register lists Kölsch, Dortmunder Bier, or Münchener Bier, but neither Münstersch Alt nor Herforder Pils. Because Alt is top-fermented, German beer law allows it to contain wheat malt outside Bavaria, and that's exactly what the Münster original does.