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Nostalgia sells. And when you combine that with three beer-loving buddies who also share a passion for their hometown of Detroit, you have a formula for a comeback story for the ages. All centering on an iconic Motor City beer brand.
Altes Original Detroit Lager, one of Michigan’s oldest beers with origins dating back to 1910 that changed hands a few times over the years before disappearing entirely in the 1990’s, is being revived by Eric Stief, Pat Kruse and Carl Erickson. The three co-founders of Altes Detroit Brewing Company have relaunched the historic Detroit beer with an eye on restoring it to its former status.
“After World War II Altes was the top selling beer in Michigan,” said Erickson, who grew up in West Bloomfield and now resides in Gaylord. “Over 800,000 barrels were sold a year. Strohs and Altes went back and forth for years as the leading beer in the state.”
The business partners grew up together. Many fond memories of their youth involved that hometown favorite, Altes.
“All three of us love beer, love Detroit and love Michigan,” Kruse said of the decision to dive headfirst into reintroducing the brand. “We wanted to launch a heritage beer. Altes was the best choice.”
BY JON BECKER
A Comeback Story For the Ages
MIBREW TRAIL MAGAZINE
FALL 2022
Check out Hearst’s newest brand showcasing Michigan Breweries at MiBrewTrail.com.
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“It was the first beer I stole out of my father’s refrigerator, Erickson said. “He never said anything to me. The brand was shockingly abandoned by the previous holder. It went into the public domain and we acquired the brand and trademark.”
When the trio relaunched Altes Beer commercially in May of 2019, they were fully aware of its long association with Detroit, and how it came to embody the working class grit of a town that loves its sports and Bavarian-style beer.
“We’re a German-style lager that goes back to the European tradition of brewing,” Kruse said. “It’s a very unique lager in today’s market. We make it as a premium product. We’re not just putting another American pilsner on the shelves. We only use imported German hops. That’s why it tastes a bit different from beer made with American hops.”
brew. Talk about a perfect match.
“After WWII, Altes became the top selling beer in Michigan,” Erickson said. “Over 800,000 barrels were sold.”
Its popularity continued to grow. By the 1950s, Altes had such a large and loyal customer base among outdoorsmen that its Sportsman Ale became one of the first sponsors of the long running “Michigan Outdoors” television program, hosted and produced by Mort Neff. In the ‘60s, Altes became an official sponsor of the Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers.
The diehard Detroiters are determined to restore Altes to its glory days.
“We want to grow the brand so it’s once again among Michigan’s great beers,” Kruse said. “The beer is already great. We just have to grow the brand. There are a lot of products on shelves in beer sections.”
“The beer tastes like beer,” Erickson said. “It has a strong legacy and a strong history in Michigan.”
They cut no corners with their beloved Altes. They use 100% barley malt and 100% German imported hops, a beer the gentlemen say is a highly drinkable locally-produced lager that honors Detroit’s storied beer heritage.
Altes Beer
www.altes.beer
MIBREW TRAIL MAGAZINE
FALL 2022
There is nothing ordinary about an Altes Beer. It’s a Detroit original, brewed for decades at the corner of Mack and Hurlbut on Detroit’s East Side, its history going back to at least 1910. By the time Prohibition began in the United States in 1920 it had became the beer of choice for many hardworking Detroiters, many of them immigrant autoworkers. Legend has it that the beer, made by European-trained brew masters to emulate the crisp, refreshing lagers of their homeland, was still brewed during the dry years and sold at speakeasies across town. After prohibition was lifted in 1933, Altes, like Detroit itself, took off. A working class town wrapping its calloused hands and soft heart around a working class
Left to right, Altes Detroit Brewing Company founders Carl Erickson, Eric Stief, Pat Kruse
Altes Detroit Brewing Company also has another beer under its label, Altes Sportsman Copper Lager (formerly Altes Sportsman Ale). They reintroduced the once popular ale as a red lager late last year.
It has the same simple four ingredients as its Altes Original counterpart (European malt, water, yeast and hops) but the malt is toasted.
“It’s a little darker, an original full-flavored German lager,” Erickson. “It has more of a
malt-forward flavor. There is no citrusy taste because of the Bavarian hops.”
The beer-enthusiasts-turned-throwback beer entrepreneurs are “happy with how both beers turned out,” Kruse said. “We think people will enjoy them once they try them.”
The Bavarian-style beers are distributed statewide. Meijer is one of the major retailers that carries Altes Original. You can pick up a 12-pack of Altes Original there for about $13.99-$14.99.
“Our goal is to increase distribution efficiencies,” Erickson said. “We’d like to see more stores carry our beer. We’d like to see Sportsman picked up by major chains.”
That hardly seems far-fetched given the early returns. Altes may have stopped brewing in Detroit back in 1973, but its simple, crisp flavor is the stuff of legend for those old enough to remember it. Even if they’re not, you can find millennials at bars and restaurants all over the state for “Thirsty Tuesdays” or “Throwback Thursdays” that offer specials on classics such as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Stroh’s, Old Milwaukee, Blatz, Miller High Life and Hamm’s, among others. Altes has its own following and, under its new ownership team, seems destined to bolster its name recognition far beyond southeast Michigan.
“It’s been very positive,” Erickson said. “People come up to us all the time and tell us about their fond memories with Altes. We know of people who have buried loved ones with an Altes or two in the coffin with them. This is the type of brand that evokes a lot of emotion, a lot of memories. We were hit hard by COVID, but are very pleased with how things are going now.”
There is nothing ordinary about an Altes Beer. It’s a Detroit original, born at the corner of Mack and Hurlbut on Detroit’s East Side, in 1910. By the time Prohibition began in the United States in 1920 it had became the beer of choice for many hardworking Detroiters, many of them immigrant autoworkers. Legend has it that the beer, made by European-trained brew masters to emulate the crisp, refreshing lagers of their homeland, was still brewed during the dry years and sold at speakeasies across town. After prohibition was lifted in 1933, Altes, like Detroit itself, took off. A working class town wrapping its calloused hands and soft heart around a working class brew. Talk about a perfect match.
Left to right, Altes Detroit Brewing Company founders Carl Erickson, Eric Stief, Pat Kruse
Early 1900s Altes Brewery – Bottling Works Detroit, MI