Altbier (German:[ˈaltˌbiːɐ̯]ⓘ,lit. 'old beer') is astyle of beer brewed in theRhineland, especially around the city ofDüsseldorf, Germany. It is a copper colouredbeer whose name comes from it beingtop-fermented, an older method than the bottom fermentation oflagers.
Altbier is usually a dark, copper colour. It is fermented at a moderate temperature using atop-fermenting yeast—which gives its flavour some fruitiness. Because Altbier is then matured at a cooler temperature, its flavour is more akin tolager beer styles than is the norm for top-fermented beers (such as Britishpale ale).[1][2] It generally has anABV between 4.3% and 5.5%.[3]
The first producer to use the name Altbier—to contrast its top-fermenting beer with the bottom-fermenting kinds—was the Schumacher brewery of Düsseldorf, that opened in 1838.[4] Mass-market brewers of Altbier includeDiebels and the Radeberger Gruppe under the brands Schlösser Alt and Hansa Alt. These are complemented by small breweries in Düsseldorf and other nearby cities.
Some Altbier breweries have a tradition of producing a stronger version, calledsticke alt, coming from a local dialect word meaning "secret". Originally made as a special reserve beer intended for the brewers' own consumption, today it is generally a seasonal or special occasion brew.
There exists a regional rivalry between the drinkers of Altbier in the Düsseldorf area and the drinkers ofKölsch beer in the Cologne (Köln) area.[5]
A beer variety associated with theLower Rhine region, Altbier is especially found inDüsseldorf,Krefeld, andMönchengladbach.
There are seven bars in Düsseldorf which brew Altbier on the premises:[6]
Füchschen, Uerige, Schlüssel and Kürzer are all brewed and sold in theAltstadt (Old Town). Schumacher is between the Altstadt and the main train station (Hauptbahnhof), although it also has a pub in the Altstadt, Im Goldenen Kessel, across the street from Schlüssel.
Each brewpub produces a seasonal "Sticke" variant in small quantities, though the names vary: Schlüssel spells it "Stike", without the "c", while Schumacher calls its special beer "Latzenbier", meaning "slat beer", possibly because the kegs from which it was poured had been stored on raised shelves.[7] Füchschen's seasonal is its Weihnachtsbier (Christmas beer), available in bottles starting mid-November, and served in the brewpub on Christmas Eve.[8]
Altbier brewed outside Düsseldorf includes that produced by the Diebels brewery inIssum, the Gleumes brewery inKrefeld, theBolten brewery inKorschenbroich, theWarsteiner brewery inWarstein (that owns the brand "Frankenheim Alt", originally brewed in Düsseldorf), and the Fiege brewery inBochum.
Altbier is somewhat similar toCologne's native beer styleKölsch, being warm-fermented at a lower temperature than British ales, and Altbier proper is also brewed as "Ehrenfelder Alt", in Cologne's smallest brewery "Braustelle".[9]
Pinkus Müller brewery inMünster produces an Altbier which is quite different to the Düsseldorf style, being pale and slightly tart.
Altbier has been produced in the city ofVenlo in the Netherlands since at least 1753. Venlo is on the border to Germany approximately 50 km (30 miles) from Düsseldorf. The beer was produced up until the Second World War, but then had a hiatus until its revival in 1983. It is produced by the Lindeboom brewery, who bought the recipe in 2001.
Altbier is brewed in small quantities in Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Liechtenstein, the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia by Tooheys in Sydney New South Wales, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, Norway, Brazil and Australia.[10][11]
Versions of altbier arebrewed in the United States, though not always to traditional recipes, withWidmer Brothers often considered the first American brewer to produce the style.[12][13]
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