Beer Styles

Altbier is the city's signature style, and you can spot it in the glass right away: copper to amber in color, topped with creamy, light-brown foam. The flavor opens with bread crust and nut, followed by a dry, firm bitterness that lingers. The carbonation is fairly restrained, making the beer go down smoothly.

The difference between Kölsch and Alt is easy to taste. Kölsch is straw-yellow, mild and fruity, while Alt is darker, more bitter and maltier. Both ferment top-fermenting and mature cold, but Kölsch stays pale and is filtered to brilliant clarity, while Alt isn't always clarified as strictly. The glass differs too, as the next section shows.

Beyond that, there are two specialties that only flow occasionally. Sticke from Uerige is stronger and more bitter, and according to the house is poured twice a year. Schumacher's Latzenbier has around 5.5 percent alcohol, more malt and a darker color. The name is said to refer to the tall wooden slats on which the rare casks once rested.

Neither specialty counts as Alt in the strict sense, but they show how far the style can stretch. Between Alt, Sticke and Latzen, original gravity and bitterness sit close together, yet each beer has its own curve. Anyone wanting to get a feel for it should first taste the standard Alt and then move on to a specialty beer — the difference in body and bitterness becomes instantly clear.