Some brewers also use diatomaceous earth for filtration. Others use hop extract instead of the original. In other words, many things are allowed to enter beers as long as they don`t undergo a chemical reaction with the beer. With more than 1,300 breweries producing about five thousand five thousand five hundred different types of beer, Germany takes amber nectar seriously. There`s even a word for it – serious beer – which means “deadly serious” and literally translates to “serious beer”. This sober attitude applies in particular to the Reinheitsgebot. The decree introduced in 1516 by Duke William IV of Bavaria only allowed hops, barley, water and later yeast in each stone. For 500 years, this recipe has served Bavaria very well and since the last century the rest of Germany. But as Karlo Schorn, 48, an innkeeper in a Berlin bar, admits, tastes change. “German beer is not as good as it was 20 years ago,” he complains. “Beer brands taste the same or almost the same taste. And the good beers that are now being rewarded do not come from Germany, but from America or elsewhere.
If someone brews or has beer other than March beer, it cannot be sold for more than a penny per fair. In 1952, the basic regulations of the Reinheitsgebot were incorporated into the West German Beer Tax Act. Bavarian law remained stricter than that of the rest of the country, which led to legal conflicts in the 50s and early 60s. [20] Initially, the law only applied to bottom-fermented beers, but brewers of other types of beer quickly accepted the law. Many countries with brewing traditions as old as Germany produce high-quality beer, he adds, without the purity law. Modern times can sometimes mean that traditions are lost and new technologies replace ancient knowledge. This is not the case with beer. The Reinheitsgebot Wilhelm IV. came into force in 1516 and is still the basis for understanding the quality of Bitburger today.
It is the oldest food and beverage regulation in the world. In order to achieve a consistent level of quality in beer brewing, the German Purity Act stipulates that the ingredients of beer must be water, barley malt and hops. The important role yeast plays in brewing was not recognized until the 19th century. Some sources claim that the law has remained essentially unchanged since its adoption. The original law limited beers to hops, barley and water. The law was written in 1516 by Bavarian nobles and states that only water, barley and hops can be used to brew beer. Yeast was added to the list known as Reinheitsgebot when scientists discovered the fermenting agent centuries later. Michael Ziegler, a 42-year-old man from Stuttgart, is one of the believers. He claims that “a German wants his beer to be produced according to the purity law” and adds: “When I go on holiday abroad, I drink wine.” For Ziegler, the four traditional ingredients are the most important aspect of his beer. Everything else is just not his beer – not his thing – or literally “not his beer”. For many people abroad, beer means Germany and because Germans love their beer so much, they celebrate Beer Day every year on April 23 – the same date that the Reinheitsgebot was promulgated. “It represents what you think of when you think of Germany, beer, culture, friendship and all these positive things,” said association spokesman Marc-Oliver Huhnholz.
“I think it`s a traditional thing because it brings us together and keeps us together as a nation in this increasingly international lifestyle.” Religious conservatism may also have played a role in the adoption of the rule in Bavaria to suppress the use of plants allegedly used in pagan rituals, such as gruit, henweed, belladonna or wormwood. [5] [6]:410–411 The rule also excluded problematic methods of preserving beer such as soot, nettle and henbanon. [7] Even though German beer laws do not apply throughout the EU, German brewers adhere to this mark of purity. Bitburger Brewery is no different: every production department and every brewer is aware of its responsibility. The quality associated with the “Made in Bitburg” label is known and appreciated by beer lovers all over the world. For this reason, at Bitburger we have several supervisory authorities that constantly monitor our compliance with the German Purity Act. Whether it`s the detailed examination of our raw materials in our in-house laboratory or the precise testing of our pipelines, seals or packaging materials: Bitburger leaves nothing to chance when it comes to quality and taste. In March 1987, in a complaint lodged by Français brasseurs, the European Court of Justice ruled that the Reinheitsgebot was protectionist and therefore contrary to Article 30 of the Treaty of Rome. [20] [21] [23] This judgment concerned only imported beer, so Germany decided to continue to apply the law to beer brewed in Germany.
[20] (The Greek version of the Reinheitsgebot was deleted at about the same time.[ 20]) General food safety and labelling laws may also apply. The Reinheitsgebot is not only the subject of debate more than ever between foreign beer producers and German brewers. The dispute also exists within the German brewing industry itself. However, most proudly consider it part of the country`s cultural identity, with up to 85 percent of the population supporting the law, according to a recent poll representing the country`s leading breweries. First, the law aims to protect beer consumers from substandard and potentially deadly beverages. Before the advent of advanced sewage systems, water supplies, especially in crowded urban centers, were often polluted, so people drank beer to keep thirst at bay. “When I started in the very underdeveloped craft beer market in the 1990s, my reaction to the law was hate,” he says. “Today is a feeling of affection for something I could rebel against.” “Our brewing culture was paralyzed,” says Kopp. “All the innovations we had in beer were packaging, new sponsorship ideas, a new bottle, so there was little innovation with the product itself.” The first documented mention of beer by a German nobleman is the granting of a brewing license by Emperor Otto II to the church of Liège (now in Belgium), which was granted in 974. [17] In Germany too, there were a large number of other beer regulations in the late Middle Ages, including 1293 in Nuremberg, 1351 in Erfurt and 1434 in Weißensee. [18] Huhnholz says German brewers are also trying to be more creative with their beers while adhering to the law of purity – for example, by adding aromatic hops that taste like grapefruit or pineapple.