Altbier

It is a copper coloured beer whose name comes from it being top-fermented, an older method than the bottom fermentation of lagers.

Some Altbier breweries have a tradition of producing a stronger version, called sticke alt, coming from a local dialect word meaning "secret".

[4] A beer variety associated with the Lower Rhine region, Altbier is especially found in Düsseldorf, Krefeld, and Mönchengladbach.

Each brewpub produces a seasonal "Sticke" variant in small quantities, though the names vary: Schlüssel spells it "Stike", without the "c", while Schumacher calls its special beer "Latzenbier", meaning "slat beer", possibly because the kegs from which it was poured had been stored on raised shelves.

[8] Pinkus Müller brewery in Münster produces an Altbier which is quite different to the Düsseldorf style, being pale and slightly tart.