Beer Department: Get To Know A Style : Altbier

Until fairly recently, Altbier was a supremely obscure style of beer, mostly relegated to the city of Dusseldorf in western Germany. In recent years however, Altbier has experienced a bit of a resurgence here in the U.S. thanks in large part to the ever growing popularity of Alaskan Brewing Company’s Amber Ale, which is brewed in the Altbier style. This trend has even swept up other craft brewers. 50 West produces a darn fine altbier called Alternate Route. Given this miniature renaissance, I thought it high time we all learn a bit more about this under-the-radar style.

As with so many of the beers of Germany, Altbier is a regional specialty. It hails from western Germany, notably in and around Dusseldorf. While Altbier can still be found in beer halls throughout Dusseldorf, its history stretches back centuries. In fact, the German word alt means old, referring to the old style of making beer, i.e. making ale in the centuries before brewers began brewing lagers. Until the 17th or 18th century, all beer was ale. Lagers required more technology that prevented them being brewed before then.

Broadly speaking, Altbier is an amber ale, thus Alaskan Brewing Company’s choice to call their flagship beer simply “amber ale.” To leave it at that, though, is a disservice to beer in general as Altbiers are substantially different than their American amber cousins. American ambers exhibit all the flavors of caramel and toast you might expect in beers like Bell’s Amber Ale or Rogue’s American Amber. While Altbiers share these same flavors, they also share characteristics with northern English style brown ales. They will have a more pronounced roasty quality as well as a definite nuttiness largely absent in American ambers. Additionally, after brewing, altbiers will often be laid down to condition for a few weeks before bottling or kegging. This conditioning period flushes out a lot of the volatile, undesirable elements and really cleans the beer up. A finished Altbier, when served, should therefore taste of roast, toast, caramel and nuts with a clean, easygoing finish. The overall impression is a reasonably complex, easy drinking medium bodied amber ale. Sounds just like something everyone should try, huh? Well, what are you waiting for? Grab some today! Cheers!


Eric, Eastgate