TENTACLE BREW

handcrafted hoppiness

We are two beer aficionados who started brewing out of curiosity, a thirst for adventure and a touch of despair (over the same old standard brew).

The Tentacle-Crew

Michael Streckbein

Beer Afficionado, makes pictures, builds things, a walking encyclopedia of film quotes.

Favorite style: NEIPA
Untappd: Luckystreck

Florian W. Müller

Beer aficionado, takes pictures, speaks into microphones, self-proclaimed kitchen god.

Favorite style: Westcoast IPA
Untappd: Doc_Hop

We are from Cologne. For many, that's enough of a beer-themed statement. But let's be honest, even if it hurts: even the locally patriotic Kölsch is usually quite unimaginative. The hops in particular are traditionally Hallertauer and Tettnanger.
The same also applies to most other standard beers, whether Pils, Helles, Alt or Kölsch. Instead of variety, the focus is on quantity. This is certainly the right approach from an economic point of view; beer should simply taste good to most people.

On the other hand, there are over 200 different hop varieties worldwide, all of which have a different character. This is how the craft beer scene came about in the USA. Because there the standard beer situation was even more boring and bleak. Imagine all restaurants serving the same food. Just boring. Brewing beer, or rather inventing recipes for beer, can be compared to cooking. Playing with different flavors and processes produces creative, surprising, diverse beers with character.

The craft beer scene in Germany is not quite as widespread as in the USA. There, 9,247 craft beer breweries were counted in 2021. This includes around 3,300 brewpubs, 3,700 taprooms and over 1,800 microbreweries. The American Homebrewers Association also estimates the number of home brewers in the USA at around one million. In Germany, the proportion of beer produced by small and microbreweries is a meagre 1.7%.
This is certainly due to the fact - and here we take up the cudgels for our breweries - that the beer from local breweries is pretty good and has an excellent international reputation.

We have dedicated ourselves to experimenting with hops from all over the world, malt blends and the wild use of different yeasts and can say: it's damn good fun!

Random beer facts

Our Beer

No. 1, The Phoenix

An India Pale Ale - cold-hopped and with a bitter beauty. The first beer from Tentacle, brewed with curiosity, fun and a touch of cluelessness. But when passion meets pleasure, only good things can arise.
This is the result: Tentacle No. 1 - The Phoenix

Hops: Cascade, Amarillo®, Chinook
Malt: American Pale Ale, American Carapils
Alc.: 6,6 % VOL

Goes well with: From Thai cuisine to Black Forest gateau. It's your taste. Don't let anyone tell you what to do.

No. 2, Val Verde

Ah, Val Verde. Sunshine, tropical beaches and palm trees combined in a wonderful blend of hops, malt and water. Is it a New England IPA or a fruit basket? Tentacle's number 2 is perhaps a bit of both. Let the fiesta begin. Vamos!

Hops: El Dorado®, Callista, Wakatu™, Wai-iti™
Malt: pilsner, wheat, caramel, oats
Alc.: 6,6 % VOL

Goes well with: From sea bream royal to cinnamon buns. It's your taste. Don't let anyone tell you what to do.

No. 3, El Coyote

This wild dog doesn't fetch sticks. He doesn't man up and Chihuahua is a Mexican appetizer for him. Wild, a little mangy, great but not furious and possibly a little dusty, this West Coast IPA comes to you. If you like it, it likes you. And lets you feel its rough tongue. Or like this.

Hops: El Dorado®, Callista, Wakatu™, Wai-iti™
Malt: pilsner, wheat, caramel
Alc.: 6,6 % VOL

Goes well with: From huevos rancheros to jelly. It's your taste. Don't let anyone tell you what to do.

No. 4, Surfergirl

Salt on our skin. Sand in places where we wonder how it got there. Never mind. We look forward to this relaxed California Pale Ale from Tentacle. We taste notes of grapefruit, passion fruit and resin. Pine resin, not the countertop surface. That would be more crunchy.

Hops: Perle, Moutere
Malt: Pale Ale, Pilsner, Biscuit
Alcohol: 4.2 % VOL

Goes well with: From Labskaus to Banoffee pie. It's your taste. Don't let anyone tell you what to eat.

No. 5, Surferdude

We peel ourselves out of the neoprene skin, greet the dune, open a cold beer and feel the love and dedication that goes into Tentacle Brew's creation no. 5, tasting hop notes of grapefruit, mango and grass. That tickles nicely. Wonderful...

Hops: Idaho 7® (cryo, USA), Vic Secret™ (AUS)
Malt: Pale Ale, Pilsener, Cara
Alc.: 6,5 % VOL

Goes well with: From bouillabaisse to mole cake. It's your taste. Don't let anyone tell you what to do.

No. 6, Pebble Beach

From Highway No. 1, we make a detour to Carmel and let Brad and Reece know that we're meeting them on the beach. And because we have a fresh batch of Tentacle No. 6 with us, there's a big hello. Tart Californian spice is embraced by hoppy aromas. Light the campfire, Brad...

Hops: Citra® (USA), Mosaic® (USA), Nectaron® (NZ)
Malt: Pale Ale, Karamell Pils
Alc.: 6,1 % VOL

Goes well with: From fish tacos to crème brûlée. It's your taste. Don't let anyone tell you what to do.

What they ask sometimes...

  • Yes, that's the crux of the matter. We are a classic nano-cellar brewery. We only brew small quantities, which we are happy to give away for tasting, but we are not allowed to sell our Dolden brew.

    What a shame, really. However, we are open to collaborations, cooperations, tastings and other forms of cooperation.

    And who knows what will be in the future...

  • Famous! Let's talk to each other: cheers@tentacle-brew.com

  • Octopuses are super-smart guys. And girls. They are agile, elegant and pretty nimble. Ok, these are all attributes that don't necessarily have anything to do with us, but we just like these creatures. Think about it: they have several brains and eight arms. Lots of ways to hold a glass of beer...

    That said: RELEASE THE KRAKEN!

  • No.

    Ok, ok, you can't completely rule it out. Why not brew a beer in the style of a Kölsch, but with a few more interesting flavors?

    In fact, the "Kölsch" style enjoys great popularity in the craft beer scene worldwide. One example: the "Könventional" from Sapwood Cellars Brewery in Columbia, Maryland, USA. They even organized a "Kolschfest" in 2023. So why not, it's also a challenge.

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