I have a really distinct memory from my first night at Cookies. I was 19, fresh in Berlin and doing some crazy art projects for the gender class of my university. We were a small group of three people on the project. One of them was my best friend and the other one was my secret crush. We were working on the concept of our project until late in the night and got really drunk while doing so. It was a Tuesday night and we had nowhere to be on the next day, so we decided to go out. Venturing out for clubbing on a Tuesday night was something quite spectacular for me being a new Berlin citizen. So we went to the much talked about Cookies for the first time and I remember being really impressed by the dark chandeliers, the music, the people, the unisex toilets and everything going on in there. Unfortunately, my best friend and my crush were really drunk and out of control. At one point they even started kissing each other, which maybe is the reason why the night is still very present in my memories. Of course I was a good friend and stayed there and helped them to get into a cab (they were so drunk that they had trouble standing). Actually, I was a more sad that the night was ruined and abruptly ended by the alcohol than about the kissing itself (I really don`t know why I was so Zen that night, I was not even doing Yoga or anything).
Anyway, Cookies remained in my memories as great place to be. Now, nearly 10 years after this story, the Cookies club closes for good (while the restaurant Cookies Cream will remain open). Therefore we asked them to look into their archives to find pictures from the first parties happening there. After the jump, we would love to present to you a short retrospective from Cookies best places and nights of its 20 year old history.
From the very beginning Cookies has always been on a Tuesday and Thursday night. But it was not always called Cookies. It started out as Biscuits, because Cookies did not want to name a bar after himself. But the Berliners didn’t take the name too well and everybody was always saying we are going to “Cookies” because the owner was also still working behind the bar. Nice story, that shows how stubborn Berliners can be in accepting new things.
no 1. Augustustraße 26 b, Nov 94 – Jan 96
The first Cookies was in a dark and cosy cellar of a hidden backhouse. They played the same CDs on rotation every night until finally after six month their first DJ, Ben Klock started playing regularly on Tuesday. It was 22 times smaller then the current club.
no 2. Auguststraße 2, Nov 96 – Aug 96
The second location was 10 houses up the street. Located in the former space of the Berlin Shipping Company. The club entry was quite hidden, because it was via the backyard, through the cellar and then up the stairs.
no 3. Johannsistraße 2, Feb 97 – Jun 98
By now Cookies was undoubtedly trendy and had started to become famous throughout Berlin. This is where they moved from “bar” to “club”. To deal with the high demand they had to develop a though door policy that became rather infamous.
no 4. Auguststraße 5a/ Postfuhramt, Oct 98 – Jan 99
Did you know that Cookies was part of the Postfuhramt once? Me neither. But apparently it did not work very well as a club.
no.5. Saarbrücker Straße 36 / Backfabrik, Apr 99 – Oct 00
This location (an abandoned bakery factory) had a couple of clubs going in and going out. So I am not surprised that Cookies was here as well.
no.6 Charlottentraße, Dec 00 – Jan 05
This was the longest-running Cookies ever and the place where I had my first encounter with this club. There was a champagne DJ bar inside the unisex toilets. Every night a toilet had to be replaced. Also there was a giant open-plan club restaurant. This sort of dining experience was a first for Berlin. International DJs asked to play here and the club got some big reputation.
no 7. Friedrichstraße 158, since Jan 07
After the longest break in Cookies history it opened again its doors in Mitte. Upstairs they have a vegetarian restaurant called Cookies Cream and two dancefloors downstairs. This is also the final location. A very special place which however could not compete with the former more undergroundy and grungy clubs.
The Cookies Creams stays where it is. The club owner Cookie will open a something new with a new name soon. Let’s see what happens. We are looking forward to it. Until then you should enjoy the last parties today and this Saturday.
