Altbier
A Düsseldorf street manhole cover, depicting a cartwheeler. Note the cool umlaut inside the U.
You’ve probably had Kölsch but might not know Düsseldorf Altbier, from another city in the north of Germany, just upstream the Rhine River. Alt is the German word for old, as in, the old-fashioned way of making beer before pale lagers took over Germany and the world. Düsseldorf and Cologne have an age-old friendly rivalry--much like Chicago and St. Louis--each fanatic about their “true” original brews (and regional sports, culture, politics, etc.) There’s an old cartoon picturing a horse drinking from a bucket labelled Alt and urinating into a bucket labelled Kölsch, with the caption So Wird Kölsch Gebrauten (this is how Kölsch is brewed). That’s not a very civil thing to say, though, so we proudly present both styles without playing favourites. The Civil Life Düsseldorf Alt is meticulously authentic, designed after the Dusseldorf’s two best examples: Zum Uerige and Im Füchschen. It has a subtle fruity-floral-winey taste like Kölsch, but is redder and hoppier, with a bit more malt complexity. Cartwheels were invented in Düsseldorf too, so feel free to do some after drinking our Düsseldorf Alt (outside the pub, please.)
FOR THE NERDS:
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 35
COLOUR: Clear bronze-orange colour with creamy off-white foam, lasting with lace
2015 BJCP STYLE: 7B. Amber Bitter European Beer: Altbier
INGREDIENTS:
100% authentic German Pilsener, Caramelized, and Chocolate Wheat malts. True-to-style hops and yeast.
FOR THE NERDS:
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 35
COLOUR: Clear bronze-orange colour with creamy off-white foam, lasting with lace
2015 BJCP STYLE: 7B. Amber Bitter European Beer: Altbier
INGREDIENTS:
100% authentic German Pilsener, Caramelized, and Chocolate Wheat malts. True-to-style hops and yeast.