# Beer In germany **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 9, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165 "2004-04-09T12:40:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TundraWolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b3f665/32.png) [@TundraWolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TundraWolf)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/1 "2004-04-09T12:40:38Z")
This is about the comment on ‘what beer is’. One thing I liked about germany-- they are extremely strict on what can be called ‘beer’ (or bier since they don’t use english). i know of not too long ago a guy was trying to sell ‘flavored beer’, but since it wasn’t water, grains, and …(i need to read up on the law) he was getting lots of trouble trying to call his product a beer and not an… alkoholpop… i guess what we would consider ‘weird sh\*t that isn’t beer’. go fig –Tundra–/ ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/2 "2004-04-09T12:47:00Z")
It’s a shame if they’re preventing natural and traditional flavourings - I’ve had nettle & elderflower flavoured beer before, and it was _delicious_. ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/3 "2004-04-09T13:05:23Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > traditional flavourings Certainly somewhere in this world traditional beer flavourings exist, but not here. While we are at it, I guess we are commenting on: [Does Budweiser beer contain … chicken hearts?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_356b.html) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/4 "2004-04-09T13:34:02Z")
Following is an English translation of the Reinheitsgebot (German Purity Law) adopted in 1516, the oldest provision still enforced to protect the consumer. This is taken from the article “History of German Brewing” by Karl J. Eden, published in ‘zymurgy’ magazine, Vol. 16, No. 4 Special 1993. "We hereby proclaim and decree, by Authority of our Province, that henceforth in the Duchy of Bavaria, in the country as well as in the cities and marketplaces, the following rules apply to the sale of beer: "From Michaelmas to Georgi, the price for one Mass [Bavarian Liter 1,069] or one Kopf [bowl-shaped container for fluids, not quite one Mass], is not to exceed one Pfennig Munich value, and "From Georgi to Michaelmas, the Mass shall not be sold for more than two Pfennig of the same value, the Kopf not more than three Heller [Heller usually one-half Pfennig]. "If this not be adhered to, the punishment stated below shall be administered. "Should any person brew, or otherwise have, other beer than March beer, it is not to be sold any higher than one Pfennig per Mass. "Furthermore, we wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, markets and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water. Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail. “Should, however, an innkeeper in the country, city or markets buy two or three pails of beer (containing 60 Mass) and sell it again to the common peasantry, he alone shall be permitted to charge one Heller more for the Mass of the Kopf, than mentioned above. Furthermore, should there arise a scarcity and subsequent price increase of the barley (also considering that the times of harvest differ, due to location), WE, the Bavarian Duchy, shall have the right to order curtailments for the good of all concerned.” ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/5 "2004-04-09T14:03:38Z")
> [@China Guy](#): > > "Furthermore, we wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, markets and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water. Of course, this was before the concept of yeast was understood, as similar brewing articles have pointed out. To the best of my knowledge (though I’m not positive on this), adding their own yeast - rather than letting it ferment naturally from any native airborne yeasts, as had been done for so many centuries previously - is most likely allowed. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/6 "2004-04-09T16:43:53Z")
Beer in Germany – MMmmmmmm. Question about the “barley, hops and water” rule: Where does that leave Berlinerweiss and other wheat beers? Are those considered to not be “real” beers? ---
**Author:** ![epepke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@epepke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epepke)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/7 "2004-04-09T20:08:54Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > Beer in Germany – MMmmmmmm. > > Question about the “barley, hops and water” rule: Where does that leave Berlinerweiss and other wheat beers? Are those considered to not be “real” beers? It has since been amended to include wheat. At one time, wheat was a weed that grew in barley fields, and it wasn’t distinguished from barley. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/8 "2004-04-10T01:23:14Z")
Thanks. Fascinating little factlet that I shall store away and whisk out sometime without remembering where I heard it. ---
**Author:** ![beergeek279](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@beergeek279](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beergeek279)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/9 "2004-04-12T19:50:49Z")
I definitely like Reinheitsgebot beers (though a bigger fan of Belgians, myself…and they sure wouldn’t pass the Purity Law, with all that sugar candi and coriander…), and I enjoy their simple goodness quite a bit. I had heard, though, that Reinheitsgebot was in danger of being repealed due to the harmonization of the EU, and the required opening of markets. Is this the case, or will the laws be grandfathered in due to their historical significance?? ---
**Author:** ![monterey86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@monterey86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monterey86)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-in-germany/239165/10 "2004-04-13T23:45:33Z")
> [@beergeek279](#): > > I definitely like Reinheitsgebot beers (though a bigger fan of Belgians, myself…and they sure wouldn’t pass the Purity Law, with all that sugar candi and coriander…), and I enjoy their simple goodness quite a bit. > > I had heard, though, that Reinheitsgebot was in danger of being repealed due to the harmonization of the EU, and the required opening of markets. Is this the case, or will the laws be grandfathered in due to their historical significance?? You are right that Reinheitsgebot is no longer law in Germany because it is seen as unfair to other EU countries. But, the German Brewers have agreed to voluntarily continue to abide by it.