Brief exposure to bromine in water-methanol at 0° C smoothly and effectively converts furfurylamines with hydroxymethy (5) or glucosyloxymethyl substituents (16) into the respective 6-substituted 3-pyridinols 9 and 19, whereas the N-methyl-furfurylamines 10 and 17 elaborate the N-methyl-pyridinium betaines 13 and 22. Combination of this multistep one- pot reaction with the large scale-feasible generation of hydroxymethylfurfural (4) from D- ...