Berlin
A hidden courtyard brewery
Turn into a courtyard hidden off a quiet Berlin street and you'll be rewarded by the sight of the former Josty Brewery. A gem of late 19th-century extravagance, the jovial figures adorning the facade perennially raise a glass to those lucky enough to find them.
![The beautiful former Josty Brewery in Berlin is hidden in a secret courtyard](../images/josty-brewery-secret-courtyard-berlin.jpg)
![Detail of the Josty Brewery, Berlin, a hidden architectural gem](../images/josty-brauerei-detail.jpg)
The Josty brothers, who emigrated to Berlin from their native Switzerland early in the 19th century, each made their own, distinctive mark on Germany's capital.
Elder brother Johann established a legendary Potsdamer Platz rendezvous - Café Josty, which was a favoured haunt of Berlin's pre-war bohemia - while Daniel specialised in brewing beer. It's said that he was the first to mix the city's famous wheat beer tipple, Berliner Weisse, with 'Waldmeister' herb flavouring - a combination that's still enjoyed today.
These lavish remnants of a vanished brewing empire are scarcely visible from the street, but - we'll happily admit it - not quite as clandestine as their tucked-away location might imply.
Food-loving locals know the courtyard as the site of a succession of up-market eateries, but for most Berlin visitors, the Josty Brewery is one of those hidden gems that's easy to miss. You'll be happy you didn't.
See also:
![The Josty Brewery, one of Berlin's secret hidden gems](../images/hidden-berlin-courtyard-josty-brewery.jpg)
![Gateway to a hidden courtyard, Berlin](../images/josty-brauerei-view-h.jpg)
Former Josty Brewery: Bergstraße 22, 10115 Berlin