In 1724 Peter the Great set up the German brothers Karl and Friedrich with what was the first brewery in Russia; he laid the cornerstone here on Krestovsky Island himself. Three months later the emperor died, and soon the brothers began to have problems with their business. Eventually, they had to flee Russia. Other breweries have come and gone in St. Petersburg since then, but the legend of the brothers persisted. In the late 1990s, a descendant of the brothers came to Russia to research his roots; he then revived the brewery with the help of some local businessmen. Today four types of beer are brewed here, and there's a full menu of traditional beer-hall dishes: the big homemade sausage with spicy German mustard is a good choice, as is the rib-eye cheeseburger and fries.