I-beam, an Alt style beer
"Alt" is German for "old". I-beam honors an old German style (native to Düsseldorf) of brewing which uses ale yeast to ferment a beer that is later lagered. If you go to Cologne and order an Alt, you'll get your ass kicked and thrown out of of the bar. If you go to Düsseldorf and order a Kölsch, you'll suffer the same fate. We say, make love not war! We'll brew them both.
An Alt style beer is assertively hoppy with a restrained malt richness. Slightly dry, this beer pairs well with hearty, buttery German cuisine. We also suggest sipping it on its own; the complexity will keep you entertained and happy.
Original Gravity: 12.6 Plato
Bitterness: 50 IBU
Color: 11 SRM
ABV 5.3%
We at Metro know damn well that homebrewing is where it's at. Our good friend and formidable homebrewer Russ Chibe lent a hand on this seasonal release.
In a small jazz club in the Swabian town of Reutlingen, Russ tried to muster the courage to approach the stage on open mic night. His buddy, a sax player from Düsseldorf, was growing impatient so he offered Russ some liquid courage in the form of an Altbier. Thus began an obsession that would eventually lead Russ to drag his wife and then-15-month-old daughter across the Düsseldorf Altstadt in a quest to learn all things Alt. While that quest is still ongoing, he's thrilled to help Metro bring a true Düsseldorf-style Altbier to Chicago.
Photo @ 2010 Leah Chibe