Brauerei Schumacher is a Düsseldorf institution that is a must-visit for beer lovers looking to try the city’s famous Altbier.
Visitors dropping into Düsseldorf should make it a point to experience one of the things that make this German city great – Altbier. And few places offer a better immersion into this slice of local culture than Brauerei Schumacher.
For those not familiar with Altbier, this copper-hued, malty ale hails from this part of Germany. It is iconic to Düsseldorf as Kölsch is to the nearby city of Köln and as emblematic as Bavarian wheat beer is to Munich.
At Brauerei Schumacher, Düsseldorf’s love for Altbier is on full display. It is as traditional as it gets, the German version of your classic Dublin-style Irish pub that’s stuck in some part of the city’s glorious past.
As with German drinking custom in this part of Rhineland, the beers don’t stop coming. Waiters assume you will drink Altbier; that’s usually why people are here at all. They’ll continue plonking down beers – putting a mark on a coaster for each 200ml glass of Altbier served to your table – until you indicate surrender.
Altbier, unlike its nearby rival the Kölsch, tends to offer a roastier and sweeter profile. Yet it is surprisingly refreshing and crisp, and exactly what you’ll need to help wash down heavy German grub.
While Brauerei Schumacher offers many familiar Teutonic dishes, we recommend you order what’s more representative of this region. Try, for example, the Düsseldorf meatball. Think of it as a Swedish meatball the size of a baseball that comes served with fried potatoes, salad, and a sunny side-up egg. Or flönz, a type of blood sausage that’s popular in this region. They serve it with rye bread and onions, but it makes for a really great mouthful with fried potatoes as well.
Otherwise your German classics are available – pork schnitzel, roasted pork knuckle, or beef goulash. Be sure to sample the local mustard; Düsseldorf is fiercely proud of their ‘mostert’.
Even if you’re not a keen beer fan, a visit to Brauerei Schumacher comes recommended. It’s a great way to soak in the city’s unique culture, a space where you rub shoulders with locals from all walks of life.
For beer lovers though, surrender should not be an option. Keep the Altbier coming.
[Photo credits: Joel Lim Photography]
Brauerei Schumacher
Address Oststraße 123, 40210 Düsseldorf, Germany (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 3pm to 11pm on Tuesdays; 11.30am to 11pm on Wednesdays; 11.30am to 12am on Thursdays and Fridays; 11am to 12am on Saturdays and Sundays; closed on Mondays
Tel (49) 211 8289020
Web schumacher-alt.de
Facebook BrauereiSchumacher
Instagram @brauereischumacher
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