The German Purity Law celebrates it‘s birthday

Beer belongs to Bavaria like the Oktoberfest to Munich. To mark the 500th anniversary of the German Purity Law 2016 is all about beer in the Bavarian capital:

What does the German Purity Law stand for?

The German Purity Law was determined by the Landständetag under Duke Wilhelm IV. in Ingolstadt in April 1516. It was clearly established that beer is only allowed to be brewed by using barley, hops and water. The addendum that it had not to be only barley instead of barley malt was added later, as the effect of yeast was even unknown. Today it is stipulated that beer must be exclusively made of hops, malt, yeast and water to comply with the German Purity Law.

German Purity Law - The most important information at a glance

The German Purity Law was particularly important because in the past different herbs had been used to preserve the beer and for flavor intensification. Some of them were even toxic and could cause dangerous hallucinations. At that time for example, ox bile, oak bark, yarrow, thorn apple, spruce chips, tansy, wormwood, henbane or pine roots were used.

The German Purity Law is particularly significant because it represents the world's oldest food law that is still followed and prevents other chemical additives and flavors from being added. To give the Bavarian brewing tradition their due honor it was even chosen as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bavaria in 2015.