Altbier

Altbier (often just called Alt) is a mostly dark, top-fermented beer that is drunk mainly in the Lower Rhine. " Altbier hot spots' Dusseldorf, Krefeld and Mönchengladbach. The roots of Altbier lie in Westphalia and neighboring Lower Saxony, where the dark beer was the only type of beer produced until the late 19th century.

Origin of the name

The name " Old " refers to a beer in the old, traditional brewing method. A common but incorrect assumption for names Origin is the reference to the Latin altus, which is in some sources in connection with beer, translated as high up. This should point to the top-fermenting yeast with brewer manner. In many German dialects is "old " to " eel " ( " Dat eels beer "). Not related with this word is the similar sounding, used in particular in the British -speaking Name " Ale ", which also refers to a top-fermented beer brewing.

Overview

The fermentation process takes place at a higher temperature than a bottom-fermented beer. This was advantageous because at that time there was no technical cooling. After Carl von Linde in 1873 developed the modern refrigerator, the bottom-fermenting brewing manner, eg Pils spread, as no more ice house were needed to obtain the necessary low temperatures during the brewing process. In most economies, there were at that time both beers on tap, the "new" and "old " beer. The dark color is due to a higher proportion of dried malt ago (there malt in all brightness levels of " Pilsner malt " (light) to " Farbmalz " (very dark) ), which is prepared by roasting arise dyes.

In Dusseldorf itself still brew breweries Füchschen, Schumacher, keys and Uerige. Since the fall of 2010 is brewed in the Old Town " Old Less " Less (formerly squeezer ), the Schaukelstühlchen and served in the brewery in the angel on the Short Road. Since 2011 the brewery brews the old train station in the upper district of Kassel, in addition the variety " Old Goulash ".

Following Altbiere still be brewed in Krefeld: The royal court brewery produces the premium brand "Original Königshofer Alt" and since September 2008, the own -price brand Brewery Old royal court since September 2007. There are also varieties " Gleumes bearing ", " Wienges " and "Autumn Pitt " - all brewed by the brewery Gleumes and in Uerdingen a house beer called " Melcher 's dark ."

In Neuss is the second oldest Altbier brewery. In the Michael Street is " IN Dom" brewed. The brewery dates back to 1601.

The oldest Altbier brewery in the world is located near Neuss in the place Korschenbroich. There, from the Bolten brewery, the traditional " Ur -Alt " brewed. The brewing rights for the local Kraushof been granted already in 1266.

In Münster the bright overwater Alt has been brewed since 2012.

Others

Traditionally a strong beer is served during Lent and in the fall. The story goes that at that time monks brewed secretly ( stikum / stike ) this Altbier, it contains six percent alcohol by volume, instead of the usual five percent. The Stike -Alt, also called Latzen, also tastes a little spicy. The most commercially successful German Altbier establishes the Diebels brewery in Issum on the Lower Rhine. The oldest continuously existing Altbier brewery is the Bolten brewery in Korschenbroich at Mönchengladbach, which has been brewing since 1266 Altbier.

Altbier is also the basis for beer mixes with cola or root beer. Altbier here has the property does not bring the cola to "fluff " to like it when mixing beer with cola occurs after a few minutes, for example. Meanwhile, the mixture with Altbier Cola has established itself across regions under the name " Krefeld " and is even marketed as " Fertigmix " in bottles. Another popular mixed drink is "Alt - shot ", is mixed with the dark beer with malt beer.

The Altbier is dedicated to a hit, the Düsseldorf Altbier song by Hans Ludwig Lonsdorfer, which has also been interpreted in a punk rock version of the Düsseldorf band Die Toten Hosen.

Altbier market

In recent years, the market for Altbier was as follows:

The sales performance of the big brands has been declining for years. Sales of the brand francs home in 2008 was approximately 250,000 hectoliters. Diebels - old in 2008 was under 700,000 hl. According to figures for 2010, the output has dropped to a total of 656,000 hl old. This corresponds to a nationwide market share of 1.2 % after 1.3 % in 2009.

In contrast, list the Düsseldorf breweries for years constant to growing markets. So were able to increase the dispensing volume in the last two years by about 10 percent in both the Füchschen as well as the key - brewery. The main problem is now mainly in the technical limitation of the maximum production volume.

Altbier breweries

Dusseldorf

  • Schumacher brewery
  • Uerige
  • Brewery in Vulpecula
  • Brewery to key
  • Brewery Alter Bahnhof Kassel Upper " Old Goulash "
  • Club house brewery Bach ( closed since 12/2013 )
  • Brewery Less
  • Johann Albrecht brewery in Lower Kassel

Lower Rhine

  • Brewery Gleumes, Krefeld
  • Brewery royal court, Krefeld ( Hannen Alt and Gatzweiler for Carlsberg )
  • Oettinger Brauerei, Mönchengladbach
  • Diebels Brewery, Issum (part of the InBev group)
  • Bolten brewery, Korschenbroich
  • Brewery in the cathedral, Neuss

Westphalia

  • Radeberger Group, Dortmund ( Hansa Old, Old Castles, Freigraf Alt)
  • Pott 's Brauerei, Oelde
  • Pinkus Müller, Münster
  • Fiege brewery, Bochum
  • Barre, Luebbecke ( Alt Barre, formerly Old -Old)
  • Hövels Brewery, Dortmund ( Clarissen Alt)
  • Foreman brewery, Hagen - Dahl (Alt from Dahl )
  • Old Paderborn, Paderborn
  • Warsteiner brewery, Warstein ( Frankenheim Alt brewed in Warstein since March 2009)
  • Eichener brewery, Kreuztal oaks ( Rhenaniastraße Alt, formerly brewed in Krefeld )
  • Private brewery Iserlohn
  • Private brewery A. Rolinck, Burg Steinfurt ( Westphalian Alt)

Rest of the Rhineland and Hesse

  • Helios Braustelle, Cologne -Ehrenfeld
  • Ratingen Brauhaus, Ratingen
  • Brewery Steffens, Linz am Rhein
  • Lahnsteiner brewery, Lahnstein
  • Gemünder brewery, Gemuend in the Eifel
  • Königsbacher 1689, Koblenz
  • Grouse Brau, slot ( Bright Alt, which is actually a Kölsch )
  • Binding Brewery, Frankfurt / Main ( Kutscher Alt)
  • Giessen Brauhaus Denninghoff, casting

More breweries

The following breweries provide temporary Altbier ago

  • Gasthaus- Brauerei brewery site, Cologne ( Ehrenfeld Alt)
  • Walsumer brewing Urfels, Duisburg -Walsum
  • Brewery in the cathedral, Neuss
  • Brauhaus Ludwigsburg
  • Brauhaus Joh Albrecht, Dusseldorf

Foreign countries

  • Lindeboom brouwerij, Venlo, The Netherlands ( Venloosch Alt)
  • August Schell Brewing Company New Ulm, Minnesota ( Schell Schmaltzs Alt)
  • Erusbacher & Paul AG, Villmergen, Switzerland (Paul 05)
  • Boston Beer Company, Boston, USA ( Samuel Adams Boston Ale, hopped )
Lower Rhine region Malt liquor Malzbier Samuel Adams (beer)
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