The story
The name “Altbier” means “old beer,” and it refers not to the age of the beer but to the old method of brewing it. As lager brewing swept Germany in the nineteenth century, brewers in and around Düsseldorf kept using top-fermenting ale yeast, as their ancestors had. Their copper-coloured ale became a proud symbol of the city.
Today Düsseldorf’s Altstadt (old town) is home to a cluster of historic brewpubs — such as Uerige, Füchschen, Schumacher and Zum Schlüssel — each serving its own version of the style straight from the cask. There is a friendly, long-running rivalry with Cologne, whose Kölsch sits on the other side of the Rhine and the other end of the colour spectrum.
What it tastes like
Altbier pours a clear copper to deep amber with a dense off-white head. The aroma suggests toasted bread, nuts and a touch of caramel, with a spicy, peppery hop note. On the palate it is medium-bodied and smooth, with rich malt balanced by surprisingly firm bitterness. It finishes dry and clean, leaving a gentle hoppy bite. It is flavourful and complex yet very easy to drink.
How it’s made
Like Kölsch, altbier is a hybrid. The grist often includes pilsner and Munich malts with a little darker specialty malt for colour. German hops such as Spalt provide the firm bitterness. The beer is fermented with a top-fermenting ale yeast at cool temperatures, then conditioned cold for several weeks, giving it the clean, smooth profile of a lager.
Fun fact
Uerige is a word in the local dialect that roughly means “grumpy” or “cranky.” The brewery is said to have been nicknamed after a famously irritable early owner. Several Düsseldorf breweries also release a stronger, extra-hoppy “Sticke” alt a couple of times a year — “sticke” being slang for “secret.”