Last evening I dined at Paffgen Brauerei, the last family brewery in Cologne. The beer served at this establishment is called “Kölsch” once the most popular beverage in the city. Once a dark beer, the draught’s color was changed to resemble a pilsner. It is still served from the keg at Paffgen and I ordered a weinerschnitzel with three beers.

The beer came in 2cl glasses and cost only 1.5 Euros.

If I had been with a friend, I could have drank about twenty of them.

Kolsch is the only beer to order in Cologne and the natives view Dusseldorf’s Alt beer as water.

I hate eating alone and left as soon as I was finished, but the manager asked where I was from.

“New York.” I was born in Boston, but lived in New York most of my life and I explained how the two cities share a bitter rivalry.

“Same as Dusseldorf and Koln. One thing I want to tell you. Nico from the Velvet Underground was born here. Her family name was Paffgen. Her father was a solider in the War.” He lowered his voice. “The father suffered a brain injury and they experimented on him in the camps.”

“Schiesse.” Those were bad times for everyone.

“I once saw her here.”

“Nico?” I had attended a concert of silver-blonde siren at the Mudd Club. The Warhol superstar accompanied her harmonium with a gravelly voice like a sledge dragged through mud. I escaped to the upstairs bar. She should have done a duet with Yoko Ono, the Axis of Drone and Shriek.

“She was blonde and tall. A true Paffgen. Are you leaving?”

“No.”

I sat for another two beers.

You are never alone as long as you have your memories.

PAFFGEN
Friesenstraße 64 50670 Köln
0221 135-461