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
The most common type of beer is lager. Its share of global consumption is up to 80%.
Non-alcoholic beer is produced either by dispensing with fermentation or by removing the alcohol from the finished beer. Compared to the production of conventional beer, the technology used to produce non-alcoholic beer is a more complicated process.
The Guinness Book of Records was created by Hugh Beaver, Managing Director of the Guinness Brewing Company. He had the idea of creating an authoritative source for pub-goers to settle their disputes over the record of a particular phenomenon.
It is believed that the popular beer snack - potato chips - was invented by accident. In response to criticism from an industrial magnate that his potatoes were "too fat", a chef named George Crum sliced wafer-thin potatoes and deep-fried them. But the dish tasted good to the building tycoon and his friends. After a while, the chips became the most popular dish in the restaurant where George Crum worked.
The strongest beer in the world has a strength of 67.5 %. It was created in 2017 by the Scottish brewery Brewmeister. The beer is called Snake Venom.
The Slavic word "beer" comes from the verb "to drink". Originally, beer referred to any kind of drink.
The Danish botanist Emil Christian Hansen made an important contribution to the development of beer brewing. In 1881, he was the first person to succeed in obtaining a pure culture of brewer's yeast, which significantly improved the quality of the product. The brewer's yeast developed from Hansen's technology is still produced today.
China, the United States, Germany, Russia and Brazil are among the five largest beer producers.
The earliest evidence of brewing beer dates back to about 3500-2900 B.C. Ancient evidence, in the form of chemical residues, was found in ancient Iran.
International Beer Day is always celebrated on the first Friday in August. The first Beer Day was celebrated in the USA in 2007. In 2012, the holiday was celebrated in 50 countries and more than 200 cities around the world.
The oldest brewery in the world today is the Weihenstephan Brewery in Freising, Germany. It was founded in 1040.
In ancient China, beer was brewed from both sprouted rice and rice with added fruit.
The earliest written mention of beer is found in the 5th century BC in the writings of the ancient Greek writer Xenophon.
The largest beer producer in the world is the Belgian company Anheuser-Busch InBev. This company owns around 400 beer brands in 50 countries (including Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, Beck's, Hoegaarden and Leffe).
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.