Dortmund Beer Guide

Dortmund was once one of Germany's great brewing cities, and the beer shaped the skyline. Heavy industry made drinkers thirsty, and the brewers competed for them. Today only part of that industry remains, but the story is easy to follow, and the city is a better place to drink than its reputation suggests.

Dortmunder Export, the local style

Dortmunder Export is a golden bottom-fermented lager, a little stronger and fuller in body than a typical Pils, with less hop bitterness and a smooth malt middle. It is the beer of the Ruhr's industrial age, brewed to be filling for working men and to travel well. Today it is less fashionable than Pils, and many bars serve Pils first. Ask for an Export when you want the local style; some places still pour it, and a number of Ruhr breweries make their own version.

Do not expect fireworks. It pairs well with the heavier local food, and our food guide lists the dishes it was made for. Export is a beer for the second glass and the long conversation, balanced rather than dramatic. A visitor used to strongly hopped craft ales will find it mild, and that is the point. Smaller local brewers have also revived the style, so a modern Export on tap is more interesting than the supermarket bottle.

The brewery on the skyline

The clearest monument is the Dortmunder U, once the tower of the Union brewery, with its famous gilded U on top. Brewing ended there decades ago, and the building was converted into a centre for art and creative work. General access to the building is free, though special exhibitions may be ticketed, and inside the Museum Ostwall occupies the upper floors. Visit by day, climb as high as you are allowed, and you will understand why a brewery needed a tower.

The neighbouring Unionviertel keeps the name of the old brewery. It is a useful way to link the beer story to a district walk before dinner.

Where to drink

In the city centre, look for traditional brewery houses with dark wood, long tables and food that goes with the beer. A brewpub that makes its own beer on site, a few streets from the main shopping axis, is the easiest place to taste the house style alongside a meal. Check the current list of brewing venues locally, as places open and close.

For a more relaxed evening, use the Kreuzviertel, where bars pour regional and craft beers alongside wine, or the streets near Kaiserstrasse. For a quick bottle at a street corner, a kiosk is the cheapest option, and a very local one.

In the Ruhr you can also meet a pittermännchen, a small party keg, which locals use for gatherings. It is a cultural curiosity more than something you will find in a bar.

What to skip, and how to plan

Skip any bar whose beer menu consists only of international brands, and skip a pub crawl organised for stag parties, unless that is precisely what you want. Beer in Germany is part of ordinary social life, so there is no need to treat it as an event.

On football days, beer is a big part of the matchday atmosphere, and fans share the pavement with it for hours. Be sensible, drink water too, and follow the stadium rules. Our matchday guide covers how the day works, and tickets and rules change, so use the official club channels.

A plan that works: see the U in daylight, walk the Unionviertel, have dinner with an Export, and finish in a Kreuzviertel bar. That connects industry, culture and the neighbourhood in a single evening, without a single pub crawl.