Düsseldorf Altbier

A waiter standing in front of Zum Schlussel  in the late morning before the crowds

My wife and I spent a great couple of nights in the Altstadt of Düsseldorf Germany last month. Crawling the many old brewpubs to drink stanges of their house altbier, it was amazing to taste each brewery's interpretation of the style in its place of origin. Just experiencing the pub culture that exists in Düsseldorf was a treat. The efficiency of the service and the simplicity of ordering another beer are memorable. If your stange is empty, nod to a server likely carrying a full tray of alt and they will set a full glass down in front of you and make another mark on your coaster. There was rarely any need to specify what beer I wanted since many times they carry only one beer, their Altbier.

Patrons enjoying an altbier in front of Hausbrauerei Uerige

Aside from the beer, the pubs themselves are something to behold. Most of them over a hundred years old, they fall back into sprawling parlors and hallways that open up to yet more hallways and parlors, all decorated with old ornate woodwork and overseen by bartenders and servers who approach their jobs very professionally. It was clear that drinking beer is considered serious business.

Here are some pictures I took to remember the many altbiers that I enjoyed during my visit to Düsseldorf.

My personal favorite, Schumacher Alt. Bitter, crisp, and at 4.6% ABV, a little lower in alcohol than many of the other Düsseldorf Alts.

A couple stanges of Schlussel Altbier at Hausbrauerei Schlussel.

A Frankenheim Alt

A stubbier than typical stange of Fuchschen Alt

A couple Diebels altbiers enjoyed at one of the many cafes along Rhine waterfront.

Although the altstadt is very compact and  the pubs are easy to find, I used Ron Pattinson's Düsseldorf Pub Guide to plan our meander from pub to pub and to target essential stops.