1904, LA ALEMANA OPENS ITS DOORS

1904, LA ALEMANA OPENS ITS DOORS

 

La Alemana was opened on March 20th, 1904.

A group of German manufacturers decided to open in Madrid - in the then number 7 of Plaza de Santa Ana which for some years was renamed Prince Alfonso - a bar exclusively devoted to tasting beer, with a décor that has remained virtually unchanged up to date although long ago had gone the Prussian fireplace and large Bavarian mirror that adorned the walls in the early years.

1905, FIRST ADVERSTIMENT OF LA ALEMANA

1905, FIRST ADVERSTIMENT OF LA ALEMANA

 

By then, the newly opened brewery was advertised for Easter that year as “a place to taste salmon, shrimp, anchovies and sardines paste sandwiches" all well served with El Aguila beer (Diario El Imparcial, March 30th 1904).

 

1924, Ramón González Peláez
takes charge of La Alemana

1924, Ramón González Peláez takes charge of La Alemana

En 1924, Ramón González Peláez - a native from the North of Spain region of Asturias and who very young had moved to Madrid for working in different restaurants and bars in Paseo de La Florida - took over La Alemana thus starting the family business, where after two generations we continue to serve our customers with the hope of keeping it as a reference in the classic places of Madrid.

Here you can see the first tenancy contract from June 1924.

1929, the first logo of La Alemana

1929, the first logo of La Alemana

It is in 1929 when the first logo registration of La Aleman is carried out in the Registry of Intellectual Property.

You can see in the original document its current condition after surviving a small fire.

LA ALEMANA AND VISITING CELEBRITIES

LA ALEMANA AND VISITING CELEBRITIES

With Grandfather Ramón conducting La Alemana, followed by his children Pepe, Conchita and Ramón and grandchildren up to date, the brewery has gone through very different quirks and has witnessed the comes and goes and livings of many celebrities.

Very famous authors gathered here, people such as Valle Inclán, Jardiel, the Paso family, oVíctor de la Serna, comedians as María Guerrero or Rivelles, and especially the world of bullfighting made La Alemana their main headquarters - not in vain the patriarch Ramón González was a great lover of bullfighting and protector and friend of Cagancho, Rafael El Gallo, Diego Puerta and the Bienvenida and especially the Dominguines sagas .

Ava Gardner was another frequent visitor during the 15 years she lived in Madrid, between 1952 and 1967, attracted by her romance with Luis Miguel Dominguín, but also ended up coming alone during the last years of her stay in Madrid (Inés Vila. El País, August 23rd 2011).

HEMINGWAY IN LA ALEMANA

HEMINGWAY IN LA ALEMANA

In the ninety-fifties the American author and Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway - who had previously been in Spain in 1937 and 1938 as a correspondent during the Civil War- returned to Spain, especially  to Madrid attracted above all by bullfights.

Of course - how could it be less? - he was also a frequent visitor of La Alemana, a favorite place for having a beer sitting on the table next to the window.

Hemingway himself recalls it in an article published in September 1960 in Life magazine as "a good place to drink beer and coffee," and who also shared a table and drinks with "the most beautiful woman in the world" and Luis Miguel Dominguín.

1955, The case of “Polvorilla” the horse

1955, THE CASE OF “POLVORILLA” THE HORSE

In November 1955 a horse snuck in La Alemana to the astonishment of clients and staff.

From Getafe came "Polvorilla" - the so called horse - because he missed his master, Juan "el Pavo", a salesman who was quietly taking his beer inside the brewery.

An interesting anecdote that left everybody speechless. Today there is still a doubt whether if "Polvorilla" came looking for his master or was attracted by the smell of our croquettes.

THE 70's, HERE COME THE HIPPIES

THE 70's, HERE COME THE HIPPIES

In the late sixties and early seventies Plaza de Santa Ana became a gathering place of "suspicious-looking foreigners, with long hair and tattered jeans" as the press of the time described them.

They were the hippies, who for some time disturbed the classic and bullfighting atmosphere of the brewery, to the horror of its usual visitors not keen of changes.

Since 1980 a Madrid Traditional Commercial Establishment

Since 1980 a Madrid Traditional Commercial Establishment

Since 1980 La Alemana is recognized as a Madrid Traditional Commercial Establishment by the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid, as part of the so labeled hundred-year old establishments in the city.

Today, the descendants of D. Ramón remain committed to keeping the tradition of the brewery as a venue ennobled by the history Madrid, bustling, cosmopolitan and well stocked  with tapas and beer.

2024 - 120th Anniversary of La Alemana

2024 - 120th Anniversary of La Alemana

La Alemana turns 120 years old. A legacy that has remained unchanged over time, where hospitality and a passion for always offering the best to our customers have become hallmarks.
 
Various commemorative posters decorate our living room to celebrate it, in addition to the exhibition of the renowned photographer Gabriel Cualladó, Europa Prize for Photography (1992), National Prize for Photography in 1994 and Gold Medal of the Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid (1998), among others. recognitions. A display of some of the most iconic original photographs from his series "Cervecería Alemana," a session taken in 1960, are exhibited in the venue.