Düsseldorf has been on my radar for years, as it is the home to my favorite beer style: Altbier. When the opportunity arose to bop around the city for a bit while traveling between Amsterdam and Cologne on a recent trip, I had no choice but to say, “yes!”

This was another unfortunately quick stay but I gave myself a nice taste of the city and cannot wait to return for further exploration.

Düsseldorf is known as the being a fasion and finance capital in Germany but we are here for the Altbier and nothing else, this time. Altbier is an interesting style, it shares the hybrid distinction with it’s nemesis down the Rhine- Kölsch, and similarities between the two are glaring in terms of brewing processes. A rich, bitter, copper nectar, the Altbier is brewed with a base of Pilsner malt, a bit of Munich malt for color and flavor depth, aggressive Nobel Hop additions, and ale yeast. After fermentation, the beer is stored (lagered) for a few months, to provide for a crisp, clear finish. The style does not have PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status but it is very much associated with the city of Düsseldorf and the Lower Rhine Region. The name “Altbier” translates to “Old Beer,” old referring to the process used to make it (the ale yeast). Düsseldorf and Cologne bucked the lager trend when it came in vogue in the 1600s and kept using their “bottom yeast” despite city legislation against doing so. Altbier is served in a Becher glass, similar in style to the Stange that Kölsch is served in, but wider and shorter.

The city was quite easy to navigate and from the main train station, I easily walked to my first stop: Brauerei Schumacher. Founded in 1838, Schumacher Alt is the oldest Altbier in Düsseldorf. Similar to how Kölsch is served, your Becher is replaced continuously until you place your coaster over the top of the glass.

They had quite the crowd at 11am, some sort of football fan club had descended upon the small bar and they came ready to down some Altbier. The venue was also setting up for carnival. I was unaware of how big the celebrations leading up to Lent were in Germany until this trip.

After Brauerei Schumacher, a fifteen minute walk led me to Uerige, who produce one of the only Altbier’s that is exported to the United States. Here, I sat for a meal and enjoyed several Altbiers while drinking in the atmosphere. The food was wonderful, the beer strong (Uerige Alt lands a little outside style guidelines for ABV and IBU but damn, is it good), and the staff friendly.

Soon after finishing the meal, it was time to hoof it back to the train station and move on to the next stop. There are several more Altbier breweries that I would love to explore the next time that I’m in Düsseldorf but I’m glad that I got an overview of the city and explored this lovely beer style a little bit while I had the chance.