The dark "ale" of Germany, the "Altbier" is a copper-colored style of top-fermenting brew made in the north-west of Germany and is especially associated with the area around the city of Düsseldorf and the Niederrhein. The typical "Altbier" has a smoother, cleaner, less fruity character than it is found in most Belgian or British-style ales because of the combination of an all-malt mash and a period of cold conditioning. Some Altbiers are produced by brew-pubs in Düsseldorf and like all of them they are brewed according to the German Beer Purity law.

On these pages we offer an overview of the variety of Altbiers, including some personal notes. We tried all of these beers and of course we like and dislike some more than others. But as taste is an individual experience, we leave it up to you to find your own favorite Altbier.

Note: We don't want to encourage alcoholism with these pages. Just as wine, Altbier is a delicious drink, that goes well with many meals. You can't enjoy it if you drink to much! And please always keep in mind: don't drink & drive!

Alphabetic list of the Altbier brands
	Altmeister Bolten Alt Boltens Ur-Alt Clarissen Alt Diebels Düssel Alt Fels Krone Alt Frankenheim Alt Füchschen Gatz Gleumes Hannen Alt Karlskrone Alt Niederrhein Alt	Oettinger Alt Plato 13 Pott's Alt Rhenania Alt Schloss Alt-Bier Schlösser Alt Schlüssel Schumacher Alt Schwelmer Alt Traugott Simon Alt Urfels Alt Venloosch Alt Waldschloß Alt Uerige
Other Altbier brands that we have not found yet (but heard about): Bürger Alt (Cologne), Germanus Alt (Aachen), Germania Alt (Münster), Altstadt Alt (Bochum), Westfalisch Alt, Schinderhannes Alt, Funke Alt, Urhahn Alt, König Alt, Kronen Alt (Dortmund), Hansa Alt (Dortmund), Kupfer Alt (Siegen), Fiege Alt (Bochum), Brauherrn Alt (Wuppertal), Börsen Alt (Leverkusen), Sester Alt (Cologne), Stern Alt, Pinkus Alt (Münster)

Horst D. Dornbusch
Altbier: History, Brewing Techniques, Recipes.
Brewers Publications, 1998
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