The Dark Half

Located less than 30 miles apart, Düsseldorf and Colögne share many things, not least a tradition of brewing very similar ales descended from a common ancestor. Although geographically quite close, they have ended up with slightly different, yet still similar beers that represent each city. Similar to Colögne's Kölsch, Düsseldorf Altbier (German for 'Old Beer', a reference to the beer style being around before the 'new' Lager styles) is a top-fermented Ale that undergoes lagering (cold storage) for up to several months, creating a distinctive hybrid beer. In contrast to Kölsch, Düsseldorf Alt is a darker, maltier, heavier hopped brew.

Inspired by the classic beers of Düsseldorf's Altstadt (Old Town), Clandestine's zoomAlt is a cool fermented, copper colored ale brewed with soft water to enhance the malty flavors produced by an all German mash bill. The complex malt aroma thus produced combines with the characteristic spicy/floral Noble hops in a beer that is both malty and bitter. By using yeast derived from the original strains still used in Colögne, we have brought the two styles even closer together. The result is a highly complex, yet still clean and easy drinking ale.