Reinheitsgebot

TheReinheitsgebot(German pronunciation:[ˈʁaɪnhaɪtsɡəˌboːt];lit.'purity order') is a series ofregulationslimiting the ingredients inbeerin Germany and the states of the formerHoly Roman Empire. The best known version of the law was adopted inBavariain 1516 (byWilliam IV), but similar regulations predate the Bavarian order, and modern regulations also significantly differ from the 1516 Bavarian version. Although today the Reinheitsgebot is mentioned in various texts about the history of beer, historically it was only applied in theduchy,electorate, thenKingdom of Bavariaand from 1906 in Germany as a whole, and it had little or no effect in other countries or regions.
The most influential predecessor of the modernReinheitsgebotwas a law first adopted in the Duchy ofBavaria-Munichin 1487. AfterBavaria was reunited, the Munich law was adopted across the entirety of Bavaria on 23 April 1516.As Germany unified, Bavaria pushed for adoption of this law on a national basis (seeBroader adoption).
According to the 1516 Bavarian law, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer werewater,barleyandhops.The text does not mentionyeastas an ingredient, although yeast was at the time knowingly used in the brewing process. It is likely that brewers of the time preferred to see yeast as a fixture of the brewing process. Yeast produced in one batch was commonly transferred to a subsequent batch, thus giving yeast a more permanent character in the brewing process. A full understanding of the chemical basis of yeast and the fermentation process did not come until much later.
The 1516 Bavarian law set the price of beer (depending on the time of year and type of beer), limited the profits made by innkeepers, and made confiscation the penalty for making impure beer.
The text (translated) of the 1516 Bavarian law is as follows:
The Bavarian order of1516was introduced in part to prevent price competition with bakers forwheatandrye. The restriction of grains tobarleywas meant to ensure the availability of affordablebread, as wheat and rye were reserved for use by bakers.The rule may have also had aprotectionistrole, as beers from Northern Germany often contained additives that could not be grown in Bavaria.
Religious conservatism may have also played a role in adoption of the rule in Bavaria, to suppress the use of plants that were allegedly used in pagan rituals, such asgruit,henbane,belladonna, orwormwood.The rule also excluded problematic methods of preserving beer, such assoot,stinging nettleandhenbane.
While some sources refer to the Bavarian law of 1516 as the first law regulating food safety,this is inaccurate, as earlier food safety regulations can be traced back as far as ancient Rome.Similarly, some sources claim that the law has been essentially unchanged since its adoption, but as early as the mid-1500s Bavaria began to allow ingredients such as coriander, bay leaf, and wheat.Yeastwas also added to modern versions of the law after the discovery of its role in fermentation.
TheReinheitsgebotremains the most famous law that regulates the brewing of beer,and continues to influence brewing not only in Germany, but around the world.
Modern versions of the law have contained significant exceptions for different types of beer (such as top-fermented beers), for export beers, and for different regions. The basic law now declares that only malted Barley/Wheat/Rye, hops, water and yeast are permitted.Reinheitsgebot strictly forbids the use of extenders such as rice, corn, sorghum and other grains favored by American brewers to give a lighter taste as well as being less expensive to brew.
In response to the growth of craft breweries globally, some commentators,German brewers,and even German politicianshave argued that theReinheitsgebothas slowed Germany's adoption of beer trends popular in the rest of the world, such as BelgianlambicsandAmerican craft styles. In late 2015, Bavarian brewers voted in favor of a revision to the beer laws to allow other natural ingredients.Many brewers still follow the original 1516 purity law as it is considered to be a part of the national identity.
Until the mid-20th century, theReinheitsgebotwas relatively unknown and applied unevenly across Germany.In the mid-20th century, Bavarian brewers rallied around theReinheitsgebotto protect themselves against competition amid European market integration.
The earliest documented mention of beer by a German nobleman is the granting of a brewing licence by EmperorOtto IIto the church atLiege(now Belgium), awarded in 974.A variety of other beer regulations also existed in Germany during the late Middle Ages, including inNurembergin 1293,Erfurtin 1351, andWeißenseein 1434.
The Bavarian order of 1516 formed the basis of rules that spread slowly throughout Germany. Bavaria insisted on its application throughout Germany as a precondition ofGerman unificationin 1871. The move encountered strong resistance from brewers outside Bavaria, and imperial law of 1873 taxed the use of other ingredients (rather than banning them) when used by Northern German brewers.It was not until 1906 that the law was applied consistently across all of Germany,and it was not formally referred to asReinheitsgebotuntil theWeimar Republic.
In 1952, the basic regulations of theReinheitsgebotwere incorporated into the West GermanBiersteuergesetz(Beer Taxation Law). Bavarian law remained stricter than that of the rest of the country, leading to legal conflict during the 1950s and early 1960s.The law initially applied only to bottom-fermented ("lager") beers, but brewers of other types of beer soon accepted the law as well.
Outside of Germany, theReinheitsgebotwas formally incorporated in Greek law by the first Greek king,Otto(originally aBavarianprince).German brewers at theTsingtao Breweryin theGerman colonyinQingdao, China also followed the law voluntarily.
In March 1987 French brewers sued and, in the case ofCommission v Germany (C-178/84), theEuropean Court of Justicefound that theReinheitsgebotwas protectionist, and therefore in violation of Article 30 of theTreaty of Rome.This ruling concerned only imported beer, so Germany chose to continue to apply the law to beer brewed in Germany.(Greece's version of theReinheitsgebotwas struck down around the same time.) General food safety and labeling laws may also apply.
AfterGerman reunificationin 1990 theNeuzeller Kloster Brewery, a former monastery brewery in the East German town ofNeuzelle, Brandenburg, was warned to stop selling its black beer as it contained sugar. After some negotiations the brewery was allowed to sell it under the nameSchwarzer Abt("Black Abbot") but could not label it "Bier". This decision was repealed by theFederal Administrative Court of Germanythrough a special permit, and after legal disputes lasting ten years (known as the "Brandenburg Beer War") Neuzeller Kloster Brewery gained the right to callSchwarzer Abt"Bier" again.
The revisedVorläufiges Biergesetz(Provisional Beer Law) of 1993, which replaced the earlier regulations, is a slightly expanded version of theReinheitsgebot, stipulating that only water, malted barley, hops and yeast be used for any bottom-fermented beer brewed in Germany. In addition, the law allows the use of powdered or ground hops and hop extracts, as well as stabilization andfiningagents such asPVPP. Top-fermented beer is subject to the same rules, with the addition that a wider variety of malted grains can be used, as well as pure sugars for flavor and coloring.
The law's applicability was further limited by a court ruling in 2005, which allowed the sale of beer with different ingredients as long as it was not labeled "beer".The law thus became a labeling standard.
Exceptions to the current rules can be sought, and have been granted to allowgluten-free beerto be labeled as beer despite the use of different ingredients.
Because of strong German consumer preferences, labeling beer as being compliant withReinheitsgebotis believed to be a valuable marketing tool in Germany.German brewers have used the law to market German beer internationally, including a failed attempt to have the law added to theUNESCO list of intangible cultural heritages.Breweries inNorwayoften follow the same rules as in the Reinheitsgebot. Some breweries outside Germany also claim to be compliant to theReinheitsgebotas part of their marketing,such as:
For someveganstheReinheitsgebotcan be seen as a strong indication that the beer marked as such is vegan.This is in absence of legislation in theUKand elsewhere which requirebeersto be labelled with all their ingredients and nutritional information.