The success enjoyed by McNeill's Alt is not at all surprising. The beers that they produce are uniformly excellent and have earned high praise in this column in the past. What is surprising is that the Great American Beer Festival had some judges that knew what a true Altbier is. That is not intended as a slight aimed at the Festival. Dusseldorfer Altbier is an obscure style of beer in this country, true examples of which are nearly non-existent. There are a few beers made in the US, usually by microbreweries, called Alt, but none actually hit the mark, save McNeill's. If there are imported beers available in the US that are called Alt, I haven't found them.
Dusseldorfer Altbier is a throw-back to the time when German brewers were all using ale, or top-fermenting yeasts. Ale yeasts are typically employed at temperatures around 65 or 70 degrees Fahrenheit. These yeasts were replaced in most of Europe in the latter part of the 19th century by the newly discovered lager, or bottom-fermenting yeasts. Lager yeasts are most effective in the temperature range of 32 - 40 degrees. The German word "alt" actually means "old", referring to the old-style yeast. Brewers in Dusseldorf stubbornly adhered to their traditional brew, and a taste of what they have to offer is all one needs in order to understand why. However, the Dusseldorf brewers were not completely immune to innovation, due to the influence of lager brewing it is now considered an essential step in brewing altbier for the brew to be cold-conditioned ("lagered") after the primary fermentation. The period of cold conditioning suppresses the development of fruity flavor and aroma compounds that are associated with ales. The end result is a hybrid of styles, an ale that has the clean palate of a lager.
The city of Dusseldorf is a small, blue collar industrial town. The breweries that carry on the altbier tradition are small brewpubs located, appropriately, in the "Altstadt" or "Old Town." The pubs are simple operations that serve only their own beer, and they only make one style. They also serve sausages, pretzels and other German snack foods, but it is clear that one goes to these establishments for the beer. The altbier brewpubs are four in number. They are called Zum Uerige (grouch), Im Füchschen (little fox), Zum Schlüssel (the key), and Ferdinand Schumacher. There are breweries in the region that brew bottled altbiers for mass distribution, but these have only a fraction of the character of the brewpub versions so that they may appeal to a broader market.
So what do they taste like? I'm glad you asked. I have kept my tasting notes from when my wife, Sherri, and I were in Dusseldorf on our honeymoon in 1992. The beer at Zum Uerige was a light brown beer with a grainy/malty nose. The head was substantial and left an intricate "lacework" on the glass as it was drained. The flavor started malty, flowed into hop flavor and quickly gave way to a very strong hop bitterness. The body was light, and at about 3+% alcohol by volume, this is an ideal session beer. At Zum Schlüssel the beer was slightly paler in color and had a more pronounced ale fruitiness. Although less bitter than Zum Uerige alt, it shared the light body and beautiful lacework. At Im Füchschen the brew struck a wonderful medium. The color was a deep copper, hop aroma was absent, but there was a pleasant grainy maltiness in the nose. The flavor started malty with some astringency and flowed into a strong-but-not-too-strong bitterness.
The beer was bitter, but the trip was not. If you are planning to go to Germany don't forget to plan a day or two in Dusseldorf in order to try these classic beers. If Germany is not in your future be sure to head to Brattleboro because the best altbier in America comes from McNeill's pub.
Last Updated: 18 February, 1996
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