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Altbier: A Nod to Heritage BY K. FLORIAN KLEMP

N RECENT YEARS, some esoteric top-fermented North German beer styles have joined the beer renaissance party. Leipziger and , imported Iand microbrewed, are now familiar offerings. Kölsch is mainstream. Another, the Düsseldorf-style altbier, remains elusive and enigmatic. In Düsseldorf, the coppery, crisp and malty beer is the undisputed king. Rhenish cousin to Kölsch, altbier is proudly distinguished as being brewed in the old (alt) style of top-fermentation with dark malts, a counterpunch to the tsunami of pale that flooded Europe in the 19th century.

Düsseldorf, founded in 1288, is in North Rhine stadt (Old Town), home to 200 taverns proudly Westfalia, 25 miles north of (Köln). Rhine- pouring altbier. There are three brewpubs (haus- land brewers were less beholden to aristocratic inter- brauerei) here, and another just east. Zum Uerige ests than Bavarians and, hence, more independent. (The Grouch), Im Füchschen (The Little Fox) and Unlike the Bavarians, they used top-fermentation and Zum Schlüssel (The Key) reside in Old Town, and cellaring methods, similar to the Belgians and British. Schumacher just outside. All feature house altbier. Northern Germany had numerous indigenous and The other taverns serve these or altbier from two regional beer styles into the 19th century, many now other local , Schlösser and Frankenheim. extinct. Leipziger gose, Münster altbier and Berliner At the brewpubs, hustling köbes (waiters) deliver weisse survived relatively unscathed, anachronistically altbier in small cylindrical glasses, served from oaken featuring wild influence and raw or malted wheat. casks fetched from the cellar, breached with mallet Kölsch and altbier became more-refined versions and tap and dispensed under gravity. The culture is entertaining, friendly and steeped in tradition, but The mellow, herbal noble the real star is in the glass. background impeccably flatters the Düsseldorf altbier is made with German svelte malty flavor and aroma. malts, its orange-copper color extracted from pro- prietary blends of , Munich, caramel and/or roast. The fiery autumnal hue and malty aroma is of these old styles, uniquely acclimated to the temper- instantly recognizable as Munich malt, whose toasty ate environs and honed by technological innovations footprint graces dark , dunkels and . of the 19th century: pure isolation, precision The base grist may be entirely composed of Mu- malting and refrigeration. With this methodologi- nich or blended with lighter pilsner malt. In either cal rigor, beer could be brewed year-round with the case, the malty character is as aromatic and flavorful option of cold conditioning. as any German lagerbier. The body is lean, slimmed Kölsch and altbier were similar until pale lagers by low mash temperatures and attenuative yeast. crashed the party, with first mention of them as two Residual sweetness is low, as is a biting, lingering distinct styles coming in the late 19th century. Cologne bitterness, in spite of high hop rates of 35 to 50 brewers shifted to very pale malt (a concession to IBUs. Spalter hops, a noble variety grown in Spalt the unrelenting popularity of golden lager), whereas in Bavaria since the 14th century, is the traditional Düsseldorf brewers stuck with darker Munich-style cultivar. Other noble varieties such as Hallertauer varieties. The designation of “altbier” was a firm, and Tetnanger may also be used. And while altbier defiant nod to heritage (minus the lagering period, is not a hoppily aromatic brew, the mellow, herbal of course) that boldly set them apart. noble background impeccably flatters the svelte The most dynamic area of Düsseldorf is the Alt- malty flavor and aroma.

68 All About Beer VOL. 36, NO. 5 NOVEMBER 2015 UERIGE ALT OLDE MECKLENBURG COPPER PINKUS MÜLLER ORGANIC MÜNSTER ALT Uerige Hausbrauerei The Olde Mecklenburg Pinkus Müller Düsseldorf, Germany Charlotte, North Carolina Münster, Germany 4.7% | Altbier 4.8% | Düsseldorf-Style Altbier 5.1% ABV | Organic Altbier From the Altstadt, this unfiltered and Olde Mecklenburg opened its doors in This altbier is considered a “one-off” rela- unpasteurized brew is the only brewpub 2009, dedicated to making authentic tive to the Düsseldorf style, but Pinkus can Düsseldorf altbier available in America. It German-style beers, a rarity in the rightfully claim it as such since it is a true has been since 1862. This pours South. It is easily one of the best and exclusive vestige of an old Münster style. full copper-brown and slightly hazy with breweries in the region, and its altbier Pinkus Müller has been brewing in Münster tall, sticky foam. Toasty, malty and bready is reason enough to seek the brewery since 1816. Full gold with a dusty haze, it has a aromatics are overlaid with an unmistak- out. Bright, clear and glistening cop- head of pure white. The hops are herbal in the able spicy German hop nose. Medium- per, it has an elegant spicy, grainy nose, and there is some light maltiness remi- light-bodied, with dark malts that are and malty aroma, with hops in the niscent of Munich , and gentle fruiti- impressively flavorful for the ABV. The hop background. Smooth and silky on the ness. The wheat portion (40 percent) and lactic flavor and firm bitterness lend a rustic, palate. The graininess and toasted influence provide quenching acidity in the earthy background. Uerige also exports malt in the aroma revisit the flavor. flavor and a dry finish, while the finesse of the the more hoppy and aromatic Sticke (6%) With 31 IBUs, OMB Copper is decidedly pale barley malt offers up delicate sweetness. and the formidable Doppelsticke (8.5%) in malt-accented yet refreshing, with Fairly light on the mouthfeel, it is unfiltered bottles. Draft can also be found on occa- many of the same qualities we look and cold-conditioned for several months, sion. A true taste of the Old Town. forward to in autumnal Märzen. resulting in a naturally velvety smoothness.

Unique yeast, culled over time under by Düsseldorf brewpubs periodically. They hazy. The fresh hoppiness, bright malty fermentation conditions particular to altbier are more robust all the way around than the character and neutral yeast are in keep- and Kölsch, is yet another crucial con- brewpubs’ standard offering. Zum Uerige’s ing with the Düsseldorf style, albeit much tributor. It toils at low top-fermentation is called Sticke (secret); Im Füchschen’s, lighter in color. temperatures where others would struggle Stike (also secret); and Zum Schlüssel’s, American altbiers are, curiously, a rather to thrive, 55 to 60 degrees F. Fermentation Latzenbier (beer from the wood). Schum- underrepresented genre of the style. Alas- is clean and thorough. Original gravities of acher offers its as a Christmas specialty, kan Amber of the Alaskan Brewing Co. 11 to 12 degrees Plato give altbier an ABV Weihnnachtsbier (Holy Night beer), during in Juneau is the most famous of them. It’s of 4.5 to 5%. December. copper-brown, very malty and robust, with Slow, steady fermentation is followed Other notable altbiers include Fran- somewhat reserved hop bitterness. Olde by a few weeks of near-freezing lagering. kenheim and Schlösser of Düsseldorf and Mecklenburg Brewery in Charlotte, North This cold conditioning supplanted cellar Diebels of Issum. All three were once avail- Carolina, may make the best, most true- aging after the invention of refrigeration. able in North America, but are now rare or to-style altbier in America. Did the brewers change to emulate the absent. Thankfully, Zum Uerige’s triumvirate Maybe the popularity of Kölsch, gose ubiquitous and popular lagers, or is it a of regular altbier, Sticke and Doppelsticke, and Berliner weisse in recent years will side benefit afforded them to store beer can be purchased in the U.S. inspire our brewers to brew more altbier. after the invention of refrigeration? Either Münster has a long tradition of brewing Brewers do, after all, hate a vacuum. Stay way, altbier is called obergärige lagerbier top-fermented , and that lives on vigilant: Altbiers do appear on menus from (top-fermented lager beer), a hybridized in its unusual, but authentic, interpretation time to time. brew native to the . of “old” beer. Pinkus Müller organic altbier K. Florian Klemp is an award-winning Special or seasonal versions are made contains 40 percent wheat, is golden and homebrewer who thinks there is no more sublime marriage than that of art and science.

VOL. 36, NO. 5 NOVEMBER 2015 All About Beer 69