Why go
The word alt means old and points to a brewing method that preceded the dominance of pale lager. In the Old Town, a glass of Alt gives a concrete way to understand a local tradition that also figures in Düsseldorf's teasing rivalry with Kölsch-drinking Cologne.
The full story
Altbier's name refers to its older, warm-fermenting yeast method. Düsseldorf brewers retained that method while storing the beer in cool conditions after fermentation, producing a drink with some of lager's clean finish. The city's brewing history is tied to names such as Schumacher, whose nineteenth-century beer helped define the modern style. Those names can be useful landmarks, but a list of currently operating taverns soon dates; the lasting point is the method and the city's attachment to it. The amber colour and firm, dry taste offer a useful contrast with Cologne's Kölsch, a neighbouring city's different beer tradition. If you are already exploring the Altstadt, make a brewery stop part of the walk rather than a separate cross-city trip. Ask what Alt is being poured and check the venue's current service details before making it the fixed end point of an evening.