When talking about Altbier, one cannot help but mention the Düsseldorf-based private brewery Frankenheim. The brewery has dedicated itself to producing the popular beer from the very beginning and continues to focus all its energy on its Alt beer to this day. Although Frankenheim now belongs to the Warsteiner brewery, nothing has changed in its recipe.
It all began with Heinrich Frankenheim. The Düsseldorf native founded his brewery in 1873 and laid the foundation for more than 100 years of brewery history. During this first century, the brewery remained in the hands of the Frankenheim family, but for a long time bore a different name. The finest top-fermented beer was brewed in the historic old town of Düsseldorf under the name "Zum Falken". It was precisely this fine brew that meant that after a short time the brewery at Düsseldorfer Wehrhahn exceeded all its capacity and another brewery was opened on Wielandstrasse. This step paid off, because in the years that followed, Frankenheimer Alt blossomed into one of the most popular beers in the city and the entire Rhineland region. In the 1990s, the brewery moved lock, stock and barrel from the Düsseldorf city center to Neuss-Holzheim to meet the steadily increasing demand. The fresh beer was served in the brewery's own restaurant. After the brewery was sold to the Warsteiner Brewery, the site in Holzheim was closed and production moved to Warstein. The recipe remained and remains the same. The brewery's administration and a bar are still located on Wielandstrasse in Düsseldorf.
Despite the change in brewery management, Frankenheim has not lost sight of its focus: the Altbier remains the focus today. The Frankenheim version is a seamless continuation of the Altbiers of the past and thus continues a long tradition. The name of the style is derived from the distinction between traditional, old beers and modern, new ones. Because top-fermented brewing does not require cooling, it was more common than bottom-fermented brewing before the introduction of electric cooling. Thanks to Munich malt, the classic Alt has a reddish-brown color, slightly tinted foam and an aroma that combines strong roasted aromas with caramel sweetness, fruity hops and a crisp bitterness. The Frankenheimer Alt presents us with this traditional aroma in a perfect version. It is wonderfully robust, wonderfully roasted malt and has a hint of hops that brings contrasting bitterness, floral notes and delicate fruit into the aroma play.
Altbier is a pleasure that is no longer only enjoyed in and around Düsseldorf. Perhaps you like the style too?
Düsseldorfer Privatbrauerei Frankenheim GmbH & Co. KG
Wielandstraße 12
40211 Düsseldorf
Deutschland 
