AltBrau is a collaborative brewing project formed by Tim Decker to explore the creative possibility of beer and how it can serve as a tool to share stories and experiences. AltBrau has brewed collaborations in California, Oregon, Washington, Germany, France, and Belgium and poured their fermentations at select locations and festivals in the United States and Europe.

With a focus on traditional, rustic-style brewing, many of their beers are aged in oak and fermented with a variety of yeast and bacteria not commonly found in commercial products. These yeast are a combination of lab grown cultures , those collected from our favorite wild ales, and those captured in nature. In addition to Belgian inspired saison-style beers aged in oak, AltBrau has begun experimenting in traditional German style lagers highlighting specialty malted cereal grains.

At this time AltBrau is not a commercial brewery and their collaborations are fully owned and sold by the participating breweries. Their goal is to use their collaboration releases as proof-of-concept and introduce their brand to the craft beer market.

AltBrau’s goal is to promote the importance of thoughtful ingredient selection and supporting small farmers whenever possible. They utilize local craft malt, yeast from small labs, unique hop varietals, and whole fruit in their recipes. AltBrau used organic ingredients whenever possible while maintaining the quality, consistency, and flavor their followers expect.

Tim Decker is a Certified Cicerone ®, BJCP Certified Beer Judge, and former concert promoter from Oakland, California. In 2011 he began homebrewing in his apartment and in 2013 he launched AltBrau to document his experiences in beer. Since then, he has been featured in a variety of online and print publications for his work in beer (including Good Beer Hunting, The Wall Street Journal, and SF Gate) and has collaborated with world renowned breweries from around the globe. Tim is currently employed as a traditional maltster at Admiral Maltings in Alameda, California and has previously worked as a sales representative for craft breweries and cideries.