By Stuart Whytcross

History

Situated beside the Rhine river, Düsseldorf is the capital of North Rhineland. It is an important international business and financial centre, and is also renowned for its fashion, trade fairs and, of course, Alt Bier. Alt bier (pronounced 'ullt bier') is said to be one of the oldest beer styles still in existence, and it's going strong in Germany.

Düsseldorf is the centre of one of the most interesting beer regions of Germany, because the pre-19th Century top-fermenting tradition has been kept alive. Traditionally in southern Germany, brewing beer was restricted to the cooler months, as fermentation temperatures during the summer months were too warm to produce quality beer. This winter-brewed beer was stored in Kellers in the sides of the mountains, at cooler temperatures for the warmer summer months. These biers were known as lagers, as 'lager' means 'to store' in Germany. In the late 1800’s, refrigeration meant that brewers could now control the temperatures of their beer all year round. This was when Europe’s lager revolution began.

While the rest of Europe were moving towards producing lagers, Düsseldorf, being far enough north that ale’s could be made all year round, never made the move to lager. Düsseldorf’s brewers have, however, adopted some of the advantages of lager brewing. This includes the storing of beer at low temperatures after primary fermentation, resulting in a beer that combines the roundness of a bottom-fermented beer (lager), along with the more complex fruity flavours of an ale.

In Germany today, Alt bier holds a declining 2.5% share of the market. However, in Düsseldorf the market share is closer to 65%, and when you consider that it’s pretty much the only beer available in most pubs, you wonder why the share isn’t higher!

The Beer

Alt bier is classified as an ale because, like Kölsch, Alt bier is top fermented (but don’t let Düsseldorf hear you make any such comparisons!). However, in contrast to Cologne, where Kölsch has mimicked the paleness and softness of pils, alt bier has retained much of its individuality in terms of colour and flavour. I remember reading an alt bier label that said 'top-fermented lager beer', which, whilst a contradiction, is a good description of the alt bier style.

These beers are copper coloured, well-hopped with rich complex malt, restrained esters, medium body, a dry finish, very clean and dangerously drinkable. Bar a few pubs, Altbier is basically the only kind of beer you will find in most parts of Düsseldorf, and, really, why would you want anything else? Altbier is complex enough to enjoy one or two, and sessionable enough to enjoy ten or more. The hardest thing I find with brewing an alt bier is the balance between complexity and drinkabilty. This balance was something that was evident in all alt’s I tasted in Düsseldorf.

Alt bier is poured from wooden barrels, served in stubby 0.25l glasses delivered by blue-apron wearing Kobe’s, who are constantly reloading their aluminium trays with beers. They circulate around the pub, dropping fresh glasses of alt down in front of anyone who looks in need of a new one. A small mark on your coaster keeps tally, and when you're ready to leave, they tally up the marks and your bill. The beer is known locally as Dat leckere Droppke, meaning ‘the delicious drop’, and has been prescribed by local doctors to patients as a cure for kidney stones!

The Breweries and Pubs

In the city's Altstadt (old town), almost every house, many of which date from the 13th to the 17th centuries, contains a pub. There are more than 200 of them crowded together, with cobblestone lanes providing the only separation, in an area the size of a few footy fields put together. For this reason, it is known colloquially as the longest bar in the world. Luckily for us, the Altstadt survived the bombings of World War II, as did the four main alt bier brewpubs, all of which are more than a century old.

Zum Uerige

Translating to “The Grouch”, Zum Ueridge is situated right in the heart of the Altstadt. Zum Ueridge is the biggest and most famous brewpub in Düsseldorf.

 

The main bar is small and cosy, with loads of character. Stained glass windows, carved wooden panels, friendly staff and great alt bier served from cask only meters from your table.

 

There are plenty of other rooms and the brew house room is definitely worth a look. This place serves an average of 300 hectolitres from casks over a typical weekend! The food here is mainly cold snacks, meat and bread, but still an excellent accompaniment with the altbier.

 

Uerige Alt
Pours deep copper with superb clarity, thick creamy tan head. Aromas of soft subtle floral hops, slight roastiness, rich toffee, caramel and dark dried fruits-plums and figs. Rich caramel malt flavor, just a touch of sweetness, pleasant dried fruit-fruitcake, light hop spicyness, subtle roastiness, toffee and a good strong bitterness. Light to medium body finishing very clean, bitter and dry with soft carbonation.This was the perfect accompaniment with the Leberwurst, with then clean dry bitter finish cutting right through the heavy fat of the sausage. (47/50)

Zum Schlussel

Don’t be alarmed at the small shop front. This place is massive. Plenty of different sized room all leading to the back where you can admire the brewers working in the brewery behind a large glass window. The food here is exceptional with several dishes prepared using their own Alt Bier.

 

What better place to enjoy you alt bier, than right besides the brewery.

 

 

Schlussel Alt
Pours light copper-amber with small dissipating head. Aromas of soft sweet toffee and dusty malt, Massive resinous hop flavour with very sweet toffee and caramel malt, quite nutty and earthy into a surprisingly light bodied and very clean finish with much less bitterness then I was expecting. (41/50)

Schumacher

Schumacher Brauerei is home to a huge brewpub with a selection of large rooms laid out with big pine tables. By the entrance is a smaller and more basic taproom, designed for standing drinking. Like the other brew pubs they do offer a takeaway service of both bottles and barrels!

 

The main rooms are decorated with a series of oil paintings depicting scenes from the history of the City, with several impressive canvases of the war. This pub seemed quite popular with the locals, and also quite lively. With a table of regulars letting off small fire crackers on their table whilst chanting, singing and toasting their alt biers!

 

The beer here is like all good alts served from oak, it’s quite a sight to see the kobes roll the full barrels up from the cellar to lift them from the floor up onto the serving bench!

Schumacher Alt
Pours deep red-copper with very dense, stable white head. Aromas of sweet toffee, and caramel malt, slight hotness. Minimal hop aroma compared to other alts. Slight sulphur and fruit esters.Flavours of clean roasted malt, strong tea, again quite warm in terms of alcohol. Subtle Hop flavour present despite absence of hops in the nose. Light to medium body very subtle soft carbonation and a firm bitterness. (42/50)

Brauerei im Füchschen

A wonderful, friendly old pub-brewery with an impressive wooden interior. Much the same as the previously mention brew pubs with a series of many rooms all leading to the brewery situated out the back.

 

Brauerei im Füchschen also sells barrels to take away, two customers wheeled barrels out to their cars in the short time I was there.Brauerei im Füchschen employ their own full time butcher and the food is exceptional, and in massive quantities.

 

 

Fuchschen Alt
Pours a clear red/amber with a small dense slight off white head. Pungent aggresive dried fruit nose mainly plums. Dryish with fairly clean mouthfeel, metallic and minerally. Low carbonation, very thin minerally, salty, dry finish. (39/50)

Lastly I once again need to mention that if you’re deciding on travelling to Germany, and in particular the West, you must purchase Trips! (West) by Ronald Pattinson. This is by far the best beer travel book I have purchased, and at $8 it’s also the cheapest. Ronald has excellent town maps with all the beer related hotspots marked out, including history, and some excellent reviews of the local food, beer, breweries and pubs of he best beer-drinking towns in the West of Germany.

Next month, Bavaria and hefe-weizen.